Fluoride in our drinking water

The debate about the merits of adding fluoride to drinking water is as old as the practice itself – but what does the science say? Expert Professor Oliver Jones is available for media comment.

Professor Oliver Jones, Professor of Chemistry and Deputy Director of RMIT Water: Effective Technologies and Tools Research Centre

“Fluoride is a natural compound present in groundwater, water sources and plants. It helps prevent cavities by reacting with hydroxyapatite, a component of tooth enamel, to form fluorapatite. This strengthens teeth because it is far more resistant to decay.

“The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water to prevent dental decay started in the USA in 1945. Melbourne has fluoridated water since 1977; other parts of Australia have done so for more than 50 years.

“Water fluoridation is widely considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20^th century. It is a socially equitable approach to preventing tooth decay and associated suffering, particularly in children.

“Some have always opposed water fluoridation, seeing it as evidence of everything from government overreach to a communist plot to weaken American youth. Excessive fluoride intake can cause adverse health effects, but the key word here is ‘excessive’. Everything is toxic in the right amount, even water. The amount of fluoride in water is not high enough to cause an issue, even considering other sources of fluoride such as toothpaste and even black tea. There is no evidence linking fluoride in regular drinking water to conditions such as osteoporosis, bone fractures or cancer.

“Now, you might say, why not avoid the risk just to be safe? But this argument ignores the risks of not fluoridating the water. For example, the city of Buffalo, New York, quietly removed fluoride from the public water supply in 2015. Dental problems increased so much that parents sued the city for harming their children. 

“Governments are certainly not perfect, but why would they add something to the water they knew was harmful? It would not benefit them – and politicians (and their families) drink the same water.

“Dentists are also often accused of somehow being in with ‘big fluoride’. But dentists make their money from fixing your teeth. Fluoride reduces cavities, so if dentists just wanted your money, they would surely be keen to remove fluoride from water – not add it.

“While science can only inform rather than drive policy, we should consider – are health authorities actually keen to damage our health for some unknown reason? Or are they simply in favour of a way to improve public health with decades of evidence of safe use?

“In short, we can keep drinking our tap water.”

Oliver Jones is a Professor of Chemistry, Deputy Director of the RMIT Water: Effective Technologies and Tools (WETT) Research Centre and an internationally recognised expert in analytical and environmental chemistry. He is passionate about using science to keep our environment safe.

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