What Does Fluoride Do for Our Teeth?

EVERY TUBE OF TOOTHPASTE with the ADA's Seal of Acceptance has the same two things in common: it is sugar-free and it contains fluoride. Fluoride is a key building block in our tooth enamel. The sugary or acidic things we eat and drink pull minerals out of our enamel, and we can build it back up by brushing with fluoride toothpaste. This is also why trace amounts of fluoride are added to our drinking water.

Naturally-Occurring Fluoridation

Water fluoridation started in Colorado Springs, where the water naturally contains a lot of it. At these high levels of fluoride, local dentists started noticing that many people had brown stains on their teeth despite having no tooth decay. They called it "Colorado brown stain," and today we call it fluorosis.

The Right Level of Fluoride

Dentists wondered if there was an amount of fluoride that would offer the same benefits of preventing decay without causing stains. They first tested it in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and found that childhood tooth decay dropped by a shocking 60% with only a few mild cases of fluorosis and no other adverse effects. It was such a success that water fluoridation took off across the country, and it is still regarded as one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.

Bring Us Your Fluoride Questions!

If you have questions about how fluoride helps keep teeth strong, we'd be happy to answer them! Much more important than fluoridated water is brushing with toothpaste that has the ADA Seal of Acceptance.

Make sure you're using the right tools to protect your teeth!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.