Oops! It Turns Out We Don’t Need That Much Fluoride In Our Water

Grand Rapids is known as the first U.S. city to fluoridate its water supply back in 1945, and it has been controversial ever since.

And now the government has admitted that maybe we don't need as much fluoride in the water as we thought.

Fluoride is good for our teeth, right?  That’s why they put it in our water, our toothpaste, and our mouthwash, right?  Well, there’s still some debate over just how good it is for us, but science has now confirmed that getting too much fluoride can cause those little white streaks some kids get on their teeth.

Fluoride has been added to our drinking systems by the government since 1945 to help fight tooth decay and it’s worked.  But too much of it can affect kids’ sensitive enamel.  So the government has recommended that we get less of it in our water from now on and they’ve changed the standard for how much gets added.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website:

“Children aged 8 years and younger exposed to excessive amounts of fluoride have an increased chance of developing pits in the tooth enamel, along with a range of cosmetic effects to teeth.”

This new standard should help this problem.  Because it’s hard to know how much fluoride your kids are getting and how much is too much.  And we’ve got enough to be worried about besides those white streaks, right, moms?