# Fluoride in tap water



## Carpet-Pond (Aug 9, 2003)

Hopefully this isn't too off topic.

Fluoride is added to the tap water here in Oklahoma City. Does anyone know if water conditioners that remove chlorine and such also removes the fluoride?

I don't think it does and this really bothers me. Here are the reasons: 

- It harms our pets organs. 
- It is dangerous for people who have kidney problems.
- It is the main ingredient in rat poison.
- It may cause certain behavioral issues.
- Russia first used it as a behavioral ingredient for population control in the early 20th century. (it supposedly has a numbing "everything's okay" effect)

In Europe, where fluoride isn't added, children's dental health is no different from dental health in America where it is added. If our government is so concerned with our health, why aren't vitamins added to our drinking water?
If this concerns you also, please make your thoughts known to your elected officials and get your friends and family involved. 

I think there are more reasons NOT to have it in our water than reasons for it.
More info. can be found at http://www.fluoridealert.org

Don't we each have the ability to brush our own teeth? How often do we swish water around in our mouths when we drink? If you live in Louisiana, they are getting ready to try and add it there also! Not only do that not just add it to water in Europe but it's banned from being added in most places! I would much rather take care of my teeth by having good dental hygiene and going to the dentist, than adding another poison to my diet and my aquariums where it's really not needed.


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## mikeb210 (Oct 17, 2007)

Here here! Well put. RO/DI is the only way to go.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

That's interesting, every city where I've lived has removed it from the water b/c Fluoride is now in most toothpaste, and too much also can cause white spots on teeth (aside from all the other more serious issues...)


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## Carpet-Pond (Aug 9, 2003)

*more info from wikipedia*

As of May 2000, 42 of the 50 largest U.S. cities have water fluoridation.[61] According to a 2002 study,[62] 67% of Americans are living in communities with fluoridated water. As of 2001, 19 states have at least 75% of their population receiving fluoridated water.[63]

The United States Centers for Disease Control proclaims, "Community water fluoridation is safe and effective in preventing tooth decay, and has been identified by CDC as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century." [64]The CDC states that water fluoridation is safe at a level of (0.7 mg/L-1.2 mg/L). The CDC also advises avoiding water with fluoride concentrations of 2mg/L or higher for children up to age 8.[65] There is a CDC database for researching the water fluoridation status of neighborhood water.[66]

In 1998, 70% of people polled in a survey conducted by the American Dental Association (ADA) believed community water should be fluoridated, with 18% disagreeing and the rest undecided.[67] In November of 2006, the ADA began recommending to parents that infants from 0 through 12 months of age should have their formula prepared with water that is fluoride-free or contains low levels of fluoride to reduce the risk of fluorosis.[68]

The issue of whether or not to fluoridate water supplies frequently arises in local governments. For example, on November 8, 2005, citizens of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan voted 63% to 37% in favor of reinstating fluoridation in public drinking water after a 2004 ballot initiative ceased water fluoridation in the city.[69] At the same time, voters in Xenia, Ohio; Springfield, Ohio; Bellingham, Washington; and Tooele City, Utah all rejected water fluoridation.[70]

In Skagit County, in Washington State, the county commissioners have been empowered by the Washington State attorney general to act as the Board of Health. [71]They are telling the local Public Utility Disctrict/ PUD to start fluoridating the public water supply by Jan. 2009. $1.2 million could be provided by the Washington Dental Service Foundation to begin building the equipment needed to add fluoride to the Judy Resevoir which supplies the majority of Skagit Valley's water customers. The source and type of fluoride to be added to the drinking water of more than 70,000 citizens has not been disclosed.

The cost of adding fluoridation chemicals to the water of 44 Florida communities has been researched by the State Health Office in Tallahassee.[72] In communities with a population of over 50,000 people, fluoridation costs were estimated at 31 cents per person per year. The estimated cost rises to $2.12 per person in areas with a population below 10,000. Unintended consequences, such as equipment malfunction, can substantially raise the financial burden, as well as the health risks, to the consumer.


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## DiscusIt'sWhats4DinneR (Apr 25, 2008)

i say most city water IS fluoridated. at least i know mine is. i drink on average a half gallon of water from the tap every single day, and i keep discus among many other fish that swim in this same water. (do not misinterpret this and think i drink my tank water!)


fluoride is added in very low levels and will not hurt your fish.
the white speckley tooth effect comes from too much fluoride. notice this happens to children? how much is too much? it does not come from tap water. this is mostly from proactive parents going a bit overboard in their effort to make sure the kids end up with healthy teeth, giving them [too much] fluoride, maybe giving them the fluoride rinse mouthwash (like the "act reach" every night before bed.

i never got any of that and i never had any cavities either, but i can recall going to the dentist when i was young and they would give me a little cup full of the most volatile, disgusting pink fluoride juice youre supposed to swish it around for a minute or so.... 

a lot is good, but too much will give the superwhite speckles.


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## nyscof (Jun 20, 2008)

*Professionals Urge End to Fluoridation*

Over 1,725 professionals signed a statement urging Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted. They cite new scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks. (http://www.fluorideaction.org/statement.august.2007.html)
 
Signers include a Nobel Prize winner, three members of the prestigious 2006 National Research Council (NRC) panel that reported on fluoride’s toxicology, two officers in the Union representing professionals at EPA headquarters, the President of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment, and hundreds of medical, dental, academic, scientific and environmental professionals, worldwide.

Signer Dr. Arvid Carlsson, winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize for Medicine, says, “Fluoridation is against all principles of modern pharmacology. It's really obsolete.”

An Online Action Petition to Congress in support of the Professionals' Statement is available on FAN's web site, http://congress.fluorideaction.net and over 12,000 individuals have signed so far. 

“The NRC report dramatically changed scientific understanding of fluoride's health risks," says Paul Connett, PhD, Executive Director, Fluoride Action Network. "Government officials who continue to promote fluoridation must testify under oath as to why they are ignoring the powerful evidence of harm in the NRC report,” he added. 

The Professionals’ Statement also references: 

-- The new American Dental Association policy recommending infant formula NOT be prepared with fluoridated water. 
-- The CDC’s concession that the predominant benefit of fluoride is topical not systemic.
-- CDC data showing that dental fluorosis, caused by fluoride over-exposure, now impacts one third of American children.
-- Major research indicating little difference in decay rates between fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities.
-- A Harvard study indicating a possible link between fluoridation and bone cancer. 
-- The silicofluoride chemicals used for fluoridation are contaminated industrial waste and have never been FDA- approved for human ingestion. 

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a DC watchdog, revealed that a Harvard professor concealed the fluoridation/bone cancer connection for three years. EWG President Ken Cook states, “It is time for the US to recognize that fluoridation has serious risks that far outweigh any minor benefits, and unlike many other environmental issues, it's as easy to end as turning off a valve at the water plant.”   
Further, researchers reporting in the Oct 6 2007 _British Medical Journal_ indicate that fluoridation, touted as a safe cavity preventive, never was proven safe or effective and may be unethical. (1)


Many communities rejected or stopped fluoridation over the years. See: http://www.fluoridealert.org/communities.htm


 
SOURCE: Fluoride Action Network http://www.FluorideAction.Net

References:
(1) “Adding fluoride to water supplies,” _British Medical Journal_, KK Cheng, Iain Chalmers, Trevor A. Sheldon, October 6, 2007


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

I just got my water quality report this week, and I gotta tell you, of all the things that they put in the water here, fluoride is my LEAST concern. :icon_roll 

There is actually a spot that mentions how much radioactive stuff is in the water, and it's NOT blank... Pretty scary stuff.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Church said:


> There is actually a spot that mentions how much radioactive stuff is in the water, and it's NOT blank... Pretty scary stuff.


we're talking parts per *billion* here 
no worries.


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## briandmiles (Feb 23, 2005)

Yeah, I'm sure that the vast majority of dentists aren't looking out for the oral health of their patients. They just want to kill us all for some reason I can't possibly fathom.

Brian


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

It's called population control, man!


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## KevinC (May 24, 2004)

OMG! I just found out that someone has spiked all our food with radioactive carbon! Look it up man - carbon-14 is in all our food! It is a beta-emitter! Now my entire body is contaminated with it!

To the OP's question on water conditioners: no they will not remove fluoride. 

Another note - many natural water sources contain fluoride anyway - in fact I know of one municipality that has to dilute their well water with RO water to dilute the fluoride to an acceptable level.

Too much fluoride (the ion, not F2) is harmful, but low levels are beneficial. My own anecdotal evidence: until I was 9 I lived in a city with fluoridation - never had a cavity. Moved to a rural area on a well and a couple of years later had my first cavity.

"Over 1,725 professionals signed a statement "

Not too many there - I think there are more signatures on the documents stating that global warming is not a human-caused event. Think about how many dentists there are in this country - and they only got 1725, many of which are not dentists.


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## jmoran92 (Sep 30, 2018)

As recommended by the World Health Organization, the therapeutic level of fluoride to produce optimal dental health is within 0.5 to 1.0 mg/L (milligrams per liter), and that depends on the climate as well. The recommended maximum amount of fluoride in water should be within 0.7 milligrams per liter to 1.2 mg/L.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

jmoran92 said:


> As recommended by the World Health Organization, the therapeutic level of fluoride to produce optimal dental health is within 0.5 to 1.0 mg/L (milligrams per liter), and that depends on the climate as well. The recommended maximum amount of fluoride in water should be within 0.7 milligrams per liter to 1.2 mg/L.


Just to let you know, you responded to a thread that is more than 10 years old...


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## Surf (Jun 13, 2017)

> - It harms our pets organs.
> - It is dangerous for people who have kidney problems.
> - It is the main ingredient in rat poison.
> - It may cause certain behavioral issues.
> - Russia first used it as a behavioral ingredient for population control in the early 20th century. (it supposedly has a numbing "everything's okay" effect)


All of that is false. It is only harmful if you swallow it at extremely high concentrations. That is about 200 times higher than what is in tap water. The typical concentration in tap water is less than 1mg/L or 1ppm. Over 60% of the US population drink tap water with fluoride. 

The main ingredient in most rate poison is Warfarin a blood thinner a widely used medicine that is safe at the correct dosage. Rat poison is food laced with a lot of Warfarin. The rats eat it and then bleed to death. I take Warfarin every day due to a chronic condition I have. 

About 200 years ago people noticed that in some places people didn't get cavities and as a result their overall health was improved. Scientist traced it to naturally occurring fluoride salts in well water and and in some rivers water. It was verified safe and effective about 100 years ago. 

As to your aquarium water conditioners don't remove chlorine. Like chlorine, free fluoride is dangerous . Conditioners converted into a safe salt that won't affect the fish. Fluoride in tap water is also a salt (not free Fluoride) and will be safe to your fish without any treatment. If you want to remove the only practical ways of doing that is to switch to RO water or distilled water.

Bump:


> - It harms our pets organs.
> - It is dangerous for people who have kidney problems.
> - It is the main ingredient in rat poison.
> - It may cause certain behavioral issues.
> - Russia first used it as a behavioral ingredient for population control in the early 20th century. (it supposedly has a numbing "everything's okay" effect)


All of that is false. It is only harmful if you swallow it at extremely high concentrations. That is about 200 times higher than what is in tap water. The typical concentration in tap water is less than 1mg/L or 1ppm. Over 60% of the US population drink tap water with fluoride. 

The main ingredient in most rate poison is Warfarin a blood thinner a widely used medicine that is safe at the correct dosage. Rat poison is food laced with a lot of Warfarin. The rats eat it and then bleed to death. I take Warfarin every day due to a chronic condition I have. 

About 200 years ago people noticed that in some places people didn't get cavities and as a result their overall health was improved. Scientist traced it to naturally occurring fluoride salts in well water and and in some rivers water. It was verified safe and effective about 100 years ago. 

As to your aquarium water conditioners don't remove chlorine. Like chlorine, free fluoride is dangerous . Conditioners converted into a safe salt that won't affect the fish. Fluoride in tap water is also a salt (not free Fluoride) and will be safe to your fish without any treatment. If you want to remove the only practical ways of doing that is to switch to RO water or distilled water.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Surf said:


> All of that is false. It is only harmful if you swallow it at extremely high concentrations. That is about 200 times higher than what is in tap water. The typical concentration in tap water is less than 1mg/L or 1ppm. Over 60% of the US population drink tap water with fluoride.
> 
> The main ingredient in most rate poison is Warfarin a blood thinner a widely used medicine that is safe at the correct dosage. Rat poison is food laced with a lot of Warfarin. The rats eat it and then bleed to death. I take Warfarin every day due to a chronic condition I have.
> 
> ...


Got to say that we do live in an age where hysteria is the the norm and it sells very well! Obviously the OP back there in 2008 did not try to think very far as they made this statement, "In Europe, where fluoride isn't added, children's dental health is no different from dental health in America where it is added. 
Do a check of any photo of the normal child and do your own comparison, before deciding? 
Just another area where folks like to rant, even if they don't think!


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## kaldurak (May 2, 2010)

Getting some Alex Jones vibes in this thread...now where did I put that frog....


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