Health Risks Push Regulators to Propose Lower Fluoride Levels in United States Drinking Water
January 13, 2011 Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis 
Stock photo.
We’ve always been told that fluoride is good for us. We’ve heard praise about how it fights cavities, but nothing about its dangers.
While it’s true that small amounts of fluoride do fight against tooth decay and strengthen bones, the opposite is also true in high amounts.
This week, new national guidelines to lower fluoride levels in drinking water were proposed by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Everyone is giving their own spin on the reasons for the changes. The agencies say that Americans have more access to fluoride than they did when it was first introduced in the 1940s. Water is now is just one of the ways we get our fluoride. Other ways include toothpaste, mouth rinses, prescription fluoride supplements, and fluoride applied by dental professionals.
The EPA said that:
Adults exposed to excessive consumption of fluoride over a lifetime may have increased likelihood of bone fractures, and may result in effects on bones leading to pain and tenderness. For effects to teeth, children are most likely to be affected by excessive exposure to fluoride because it impacts teeth while they are still in formative phases.
Children aged eight and younger exposed to excessive amounts of fluoride have an increased chance of developing pits in tooth enamel, along with a range of cosmetic effects to teeth.
The HHS also looked at findings on current levels of tooth decay, dental fluorosis (uneven spots and loss of tooth enamel), and water consumption across the United States. The HHS wants to lower fluoride in tap water from 1.2 to 0.7 parts per million, which is a 42 percent decrease.
