Is fluoride safe? What does it do?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that makes tooth enamel stronger and more resistant to decay. Every day, the minerals in your enamel are lost (when acids from food and bacteria attack it) and replaced. Fluoride tips that balance in your favour: it helps rebuild weakened enamel and can even reverse the very earliest stages of a cavity before it becomes a hole.

At the levels found in toothpaste and tap water, fluoride is both safe and highly effective — it's recognized by the ADA, CDC, World Health Organization, and Health Canada as one of the most successful measures for preventing tooth decay. It has been studied for over 70 years.

The main thing to watch is amount in young children: swallowing too much fluoride while teeth are still forming can cause "fluorosis," which is usually just faint cosmetic white flecks on the enamel. That's why we recommend a rice-grain smear for children under three, a pea-sized amount for older kids, and supervising brushing so it's spat out rather than swallowed. If you have questions about fluoride for your family, just ask us.