Fluoride vs Fluoride-Free | Which is Better for Oral Health

By: Dr. Nicole G. Nalbandian (DDS, MS)

August 06, 2024

Fluoride was first vilified in the 1950’s when fluoridation of community water became widespread and conspiracy theories spread that foreign communists were fluoridating our water to poison the American public. Fast forward 80+ years…our water is still fluoridated…we are still here…the communists were unsuccessful!!!

So what really is fluoride anyway? What does it have to do with your teeth?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in air, water, soil, food, and plants. In moderate amounts, clinical studies have shown that fluoride is highly effective in the prevention of tooth decay and maintaining bone health through the stimulation of new bone.

In 1923 a dentist and scientist named Fredrick McKay began to explore a theory which was quickly gaining popularity known as the ‘Water-causation theory.’ This theory postulates that people exposed to the naturally fluoridated water found in the Rocky Mountains had a significantly lower incidence of dental cavities.

As research progressed, several studies confirmed the benefits of fluoride and the presence of fluoride in public water in the prevention of dental cavities. In 1944, a prominent scientist by the name of Dr. H Trendley Dean spearheaded a 15 year study in Michigan consisting of 30,000 children which unequivocally proved two things

Fluoride was a key component in the prevention of dental cavities

Fluoridation of community water resulted in a drastic reduction of cavity development.

It’s on the basis of this study that fluoridation of most community water became standardized and was considered one of the greatest preventative health measures of modern history. In addition to its systemic applications, we now advocate for the use of fluoride in toothpaste and mouth rinse as a highly effective means of maintaining a healthy smile.

OK so we know fluoride works but is it SAFE?!

The answer is unequivocally YES!

When used as directed, fluoride is a safe and effective way to prevent cavities for children and adults. Don’t believe me? Consider this:

How much fluoride is too much fluoride? Fluoride is deemed ‘toxic’ when ingested at a dose of 5-10mg/kg. Let’s just assume that a person weighs 155lbs (70.3kg). This means that in order for fluoride to cause harm to their body, they would need to ingest 560mg of fluoride!!!
A little perspective: An entire tube of fluoride-based toothpaste contains 570mg of fluoride. This means that for the average person to experience toxicity from fluoride in their toothpaste they would need to eat an entire tube of toothpaste.
You consume 0.1mg of fluoride while brushing your teeth: The average amount of fluoride consumed while brushing your teeth is 0.1mg. This concentration of toothpaste has time and time again been proven to be harmless to the body and yet, exceptionally valuable in preventing tooth decay.
What happens to the 0.1mg fluoride that gets ingested? Of the 0.1mg of fluoride, 50% is excreted from the body and the remaining 0.05% is absorbed to create strong teeth and bones.

Is it safe to use fluoride on my baby?

Lastly, YES!! The use of fluoride is safe and beneficial for EVERYONE starting as early as 6 months of age.

I hope this sheds some light as to why fluoride has been given such a bad reputation over the years and helps to ease your mind when you’re at the store deciding between fluoride vs fluoride-free toothpaste.

Don’t believe me? Here are some reputable sources to fact check

https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/fluoride/the-story-of-fluoridation

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6195894

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9922476

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Fluoride-HealthProfessional

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/814774-overview?form=fpf

Sincerely,

Dr. Nicole G. Nalbandian

Elevate your standard for oral health

Contact Us

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU

Message us on WhatsApp