fluoridation controversy

ABSTRACT

Fluoridation of drinking water supply has been hailed as one of the top ten public health achievements of the twentieth century. At an optimal level of 1.0 ppm, it is considered the most cost-effective, safe and efficient strategy of reducing dental decay in all social strata of the community. The anticariogenic mechanism of fluoride does not differentiate between the benefits of topical fluoride or ingested fluoride. Fluoride toxicity leads to dental and skeletal fluorosis. The irreversible, debilitating effects of fluoride toxicity, the transient effects with the continuous need of exposure to fluoride to maintain caries resistance and the fact that benefits of topical use of fluoride are as good as ingested fluoride are some of the leading contributing factors that have sparked the fluoridation controversy. Anti-fluoride lobby claims range from declaring fluoride as a slow, cumulative poison to fluoridation of community drinking water as a violation of human rights. Adopting the precautionary principle categorizes fluoridation of community drinking water supply as an unreasonable risk. It is recommended to limit fluoride to dentifrices and mouthwashes