Fluoride

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    Marina Shkayeva, Antonis Damianou

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    Nick Milazzo, Katie Jantz
    Last Updated: December 17, 2024

    Fluoride is a mineral found in bones and teeth. Fluoride is often used to strengthen enamel and prevent cavities. Small amounts of fluoride are added to public water supplies in some countries, a process known as water fluoridation.

    17 references on this page
    140,728 participants in trials and 5 meta-analyses

    Overview

    Dosage information

    Fluoride is consumed from foods, fluoridated water, toothpaste, and some dietary supplements. Apart from some teas, most foods do not contain a substantial amount of fluoride. There is no dietary reference intake (DRI) for fluoride, but adults consume less than about 0.5 mg daily. The maximum safe daily dose of fluoride is 4 mg in adult men and 3 mg in women.[1] In Europe, a number of combination mineral supplements for bone health containing 0.95 mg of fluoride per dose have been on the market for 40 years without reported side effects.[1]

    In community drinking water, the concentration of fluoride to prevent tooth decay ranges between 0.5 and 1.1 mg/L. The US Public Health Service recommends a fluoride concentration of 0.7 mg/L, and the US Environmental Protection Agency set the maximum level as 4 mg/L. The World Health Organization (WHO) guideline recommends 1.5 mg/L fluoride in the drinking water.[2]

    Examine Database: Fluoride

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    Examine Database References

    1. Dental Health Metrics - Walsh T, Worthington HV, Glenny AM, Marinho VC, Jeroncic AFluoride toothpastes of different concentrations for preventing dental caries.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.(2019-Mar-04)
    2. Dental Health Metrics - Chou R, Pappas M, Dana T, Selph S, Hart E, Fu RF, Schwarz EScreening and Interventions to Prevent Dental Caries in Children Younger Than 5 Years: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.JAMA.(2021-Dec-07)
    3. Dental Health Metrics - Benson PE, Parkin N, Dyer F, Millett DT, Germain PFluorides for preventing early tooth decay (demineralised lesions) during fixed brace treatment.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.(2019-Nov-17)
    4. Dental Health Metrics - He S, Choong EKM, Duangthip D, Chu CH, Lo ECMClinical interventions with various agents to prevent early childhood caries: A systematic review with network meta-analysis.Int J Paediatr Dent.(2023 Jan 30)
    5. Bone Mineral Density - Melek J, Sakuraba AEfficacy and safety of medical therapy for low bone mineral density in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol.(2013 Aug 26)