Flouride with Young Children

Updated on March 07, 2008
L.D. asks from Okemos, MI
55 answers

My daughter is almost 3 and while she brushes daily she still isn't ready for real toothpaste with flouride. We have well water with a low flouride content so she isn't getting it through the water. Dentist said no need to bring her in till 3.5-4 but I worry about her needing some flouride in her diet. Anyone have knowledge/thoughts on this?

Thanks

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for your responses. It's a lot of information and I appreciate the candidness of the viewpoints. I wil definately do some more research. I know my dentist is pro-flouride as she has directed for both me and my SD to use a daily rinse but that doesn't mean its right persay I'm sure :-) I am definately interested in some of the natural options. So thanks again.

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M.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

get a multivitamin with floride in it....my oldest has to take them when we had well water

hope this helps
M.

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K.M.

answers from Lansing on

Hi L.,

I am a Pediatrician and how we usually determine if a child needs fluoride is by testing the water (which it sounds like you already did) and since well water is usually low in fluoride we determine the daily dose of fluoride needed based off what the water content shows. This is how we determine fluoride supplementation. The other thing I would tell you is there is a discrepancy among dentists about when a child first needs to see the dentist. Adult dentists usually say between 3 to 5 years but the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as Pediatric Dentists say they need an evaluation either 6 months after their 1st tooth comes thru or sometime in between 12-18 months old. Hope this helps
Sincerely,
K.

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C.H.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My dentist provided us with a prescription for a multi-vitamin that also has fluoride in it. the kids take them without a problem.

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L.B.

answers from Detroit on

Dr. Mercola's Comments:
There are so many scientific studies showing the direct, toxic effects of fluoride on your body, it’s truly remarkable that it’s NOT considered a scientific consensus by now. It truly amazes me that the medical (and dental) communities are so stubbornly resistant to connect the dots when it comes to the skyrocketing increase of cognitive decline in adults (Alzheimer’s and various dementia’s), and behavioral issues in children (ADD, ADHD, depression and learning disabilities of all kinds).

Fluoridating drinking water for dental health is a swindle of massive proportions.

As award-winning journalist, Christopher Bryson details in his book, The Fluoride Deception, fluoridating water began in the mid 1940’s as a solution to fluoride pollution, generated by the Atomic Bomb Program, and the aluminum industry.

Starting it off with a simple truth, that a natural form of fluoride is part of the composition of your teeth (organic calcium phosphate), they were able to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes, and convince everyone that drinking toxic chemical fluoride compounds – the waste materials from these fluoride-polluting industries – would be good for children’s teeth. It was sheer genius!

Start with a grain of truth, and end up with a lie the size of the Sahara.

Instead of risking increasing lawsuits from farmers whose crops and cattle were dying downwind, or having to spend enormous amounts of money to dispose of these chemicals safely, they were now able to SELL their waste material as a “health” product! Amazing!

And the cover-up continues to this day. Did you even know that when scientists study fluoride’s toxicity to humans, they study pharmaceutical grade fluoride (same stuff used in antidepressant drugs), but NOT the fluoride compounds actually USED for water fluoridation – the even more toxic waste materials now generated from Florida’s fertilizer industry?

So, in essence, their already detrimental results may in fact be FAR GREATER than currently perceived. Which is already bad enough, considering that basic sodium fluoride, (which is a far simpler toxin than the fluoride compounds used for most water fluoridation) is also used for:

Rat and cockroach poisons
Anesthetics
Hypnotics
Military nerve gas (sarin)
I am currently in the process of finalizing a Special Report on fluoride, so keep your eyes open for it. It and several other special reports on a variety of topics can be found on my site. My fluoride report will cover:

The scam that initiated water fluoridation, and why people believed it
How fluoride destroys your health
What fluorosis really is, and why it’s not merely a “cosmetic defect”
Its more potentially sinister uses, and much more
As I reported in an earlier article, in August 2007 the CDC has been charged with a formal complaint detailing unethical activities, and at the same time the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) released a Statement asking Congress to end water fluoridation in the United States, signed by more than 600 professionals, including a Nobel Prize winner, officers in the Union that represents Environmental Protection Agency professionals, and members of the National Research Council panel on fluoride's toxicology.

By October 2007, they had more than 1,000 professional signatories. If you are a professional, you can add your signature to their Congressional Statement here.

How You Can Keep Your Teeth Healthy Without Fluoride

Fluoride was never your answer in the first place, so don’t fret, thinking that by eliminating this toxin you’ll destroy your child’s teeth (or your own).

Instead, look to your diet for naturally healthy teeth. In fact, most people whose diet includes very little sugar and few processed foods have very low rates of tooth decay. Limiting, or eliminating sugar, and avoiding processed foods -- along with regular cleanings with your natural dentist -- will ensure that your teeth stay healthy naturally.

You can also protect yourself by using only non-fluoride toothpaste, and not receiving fluoride treatments from your dentist. Certain cements, fillings and bonding materials also contain fluoride, so talk to your dentist about non-fluoride options in those cases.

You definitely should NOT give your child additional fluoride supplements, which some dentists will prescribe if you live in a non-fluoridated area.

Unfortunately, removing fluoride from your drinking water is a far more difficult feat. Whereas some other chemicals added to your drinking water will evaporate, fluoride is not one of them. Neither cooking, food processing, regular filtration, nor digestion will remove fluoride.

The only known way to remove fluoride from water is by using a reverse osmosis filter. A simple carbon filter will not remove fluoride. You should also remember to filter not only the water that you drink, but also the water you use to wash vegetables, make ice cubes, and cook with.

In addition to your kitchen, you might want to consider adding filters in your shower and your tub as well, since you will also absorb contaminations through your skin when you shower or bathe.

I also recommend reading my revealing interview with Christopher Bryson, for more information about the fluoride deception that has plagued the United States for 60 years. It’s time to put an end to the cover-up.

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H.B.

answers from Detroit on

Hi L.. I'm with one of the other mother's who cautioned you against the use of flouride. I have done extensive research on this subject and there are plenty of credible sources that tell a tale of caution, misconstrued science and danger. Entire cities in the US have reexamined the issue of water flouridation and have said no, not anymore. Canada has made some major changes to their dental and water practices as well. If you can't give up the idea of putting flouride on your child's teeth than stick with the topical application but please don't give it to them in liquid form. Just do an internet seach on the dangers of flouride...you'll be amazed. One book in particlular stands out, "Good Teeth Birth To Death" written by Dr. Gerand F. Judd, Professor, Chemist and Researcher. He and a dozen or so scientist's have testified before congress about the danger of flouridation to the human body and the pollution it causes to our water supplies.

The are several key issues that contribute to tooth decay. Acid, healthy saliva, diet,lack of water and glycerine. It is important to swish plain water in our mouths many times a day. Quality saliva is our first line of defense against cavities. If you have an overly acidic body chemistry than you will be prone to cavities even though you might have good oral hygiene. Rinsing with water also washes away all the acidic bevergages most people consume. You can buy a saliva test kit to check the quality of your saliva.

Have your ever felt glycerine? Is is extremely slippery and doesn't rinse off your fingers readily. Glycerine, according to Dr. Judd, takes twenty seven rinses to get off your teeth. Your teeth need to breathe and be able to absorb nutrients from your food and get that water you should be drinking. Your teeth, just as your bones need minerals to stay healthy and by suffocating your teeth you don't give them the opportunity to do so. When I used regular toothpaste I used to get a slimy ichy feeling on my teeth by the end of the day. When I started using products that didn't have glycerine, my teeth felt like pearls all day long. My daughter and I have used a multitude of products to accomplish this. I have come to the conclusion that for overall benefits, the Spry product line offers good science with all the familiar sensations people like in their tooth products. It does have some glycerine, but not nearly as much as conventional and it has the benefit of zylitol. If a child happens to swallow it, no big deal, unlike flouride toothpaste. Scandinavian countries have been using zylitol for years and years to prevent tooth decay. It is more expensive and not readily found in mainstream stores but is available on line or at a health food type store.

Sugar isn't even on the radar. When a body decays, all that is left is bone, including teeth, they are bones as well. If you put the bones in an acid solution, it will leach all the minerals out and eventually the bone will fall apart. Put a bone in a sugar solution and nothing happens. I have many credible reasons to know this. You could take a chicken bone and try this yourself. Also, a bone left out in the elements vs a bone left in water will decay faster as well. They need hydration.

If your child is too young for a bursh and toothpaste, you can take a cotton pad (bandage type) and wipe their teeth. It has a somewhat course texture that helps clean the teeth and remove food residue and will not harm their delicate tissues. Teeth are at their most vulnerable when they are emerging, they aren't hard yet. That is where the zylitol comes in. Teach them how to swish water around, make it fun and they'll do it.

I hope I have given you enough compelling reasons to do some more research and make an informed choice. My dentist respects my decision to not use flouride. I have never had an instance where I have questioned my decision to not include flouride in our oral health.

Sincerely,
H.

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A.L.

answers from Grand Rapids on

L.,

Flouride is dangerous. read the back of the tube. Have her brush with baking soda. Mostly, brushing is for the gums and tongue.

Don't worry. You have well water, even better. Google flouride and toxins. You'll be glad you did!

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A.H.

answers from Detroit on

HI L. - Here's what I have on the topic, and thank you for bring it up.
I think # 7 says it all for me.... so if your going to use a fluoride product you might want it to say from natural sources, other wise it's a by product from the aluminum industry.
7) The industrial chemicals used to fluoridate water may present unique health risks not found with naturally-occurring fluoride complexes . The chemicals - fluorosilicic acid, sodium silicofluoride, and sodium fluoride - used to fluoridate drinking water are industrial waste products from the phosphate fertilizer industry. Of these chemicals, fluorosilicic acid (FSA) is the most widely used. FSA is a corrosive acid which has been linked to higher blood lead levels in children. A recent study from the University of North Carolina found that FSA can - in combination with chlorinated compounds - leach lead from brass joints in water pipes, while a recent study from the University of Maryland suggests that the effect of fluoridation chemicals on blood lead levels may be greatest in houses built prior to 1946. Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems in children.
see this link for the full list
http://www.fluoridealert.org/fluoride-facts.ht

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_Ys9q1cvKGk
A Statement on Fluoride in Tap Water by Dr Bill Osmunson

http://www.fluoridealert.org/50-reasons.htm
50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation

Good luck, A. H

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B.S.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Oh me oh my, you need to read a book called the "Fluoride deception" by Christopher Bryson. It is a large book but it tells everything from the beginning. It is VERY VERY worth reading.
The reason I picked this book up was for two reasons first my pediatrician mentioned something about maybe needing fluoride supplementation, on my way home I was thinking about her comment and it just wasn't sitting right with me since I remembered hearing something about fluoride being bad for you. It was my husband who remembered that our water filter (which is a very nice one) filters out many toxins including fluoride. So I naturally wondered why a very nice popular water filter would filter something out that my daughter's doctor was recommending.
Thus began my search for information. I first started on the web and came across some videos on youtube of an interview with Christopher Bryson the author of the book I recommended above. Here is a web site you may be interested in as well http://www.fluoridealert.org/bryson.htm
I would strongly recommend that you look up and read this book and do your own research, doctors are not always right, and it's not always their fault that they don't know what they don't know. But I would check it out for yourself and decide if fluoride which is a known carcinogen, and the main ingredient in rat poison is something you want to be giving to your daughter.

B.

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D.M.

answers from Detroit on

I've been reading a lot lately about flouride being carcinogenic. Please do some searches and look at both sides of the story. You can find information from mercola.com. I tend to think that it makes sense that too much is not good for you and so I have refused flouride treatments for my youngest. Good luck

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A.D.

answers from Detroit on

Like many of the other moms here, I would use caution with giving flouride to your child or even using it yourself. I give my son Roobios tea which contains many minerals including flouride from nature. Here is a link http://www.africantea.com/Rooibos-Health/rooibos-health.html. You can find Rooibos online or I like to buy it in bulk at a store in Ann Arbor called "Buy the pound".

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J.B.

answers from Detroit on

Hi there,
I have well water also and just asked the pediatrician about this last week for my 6-month-old son. He prescribed flouride drops that I give my son once a day. The other option he gave was to buy bottled water with flouride for my son to drink.
I hope this helps!

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C.B.

answers from Detroit on

So? What's so important about fluride? It inhibits the teeth from naturally creating its own defense. There are non fluride toothpastes out there. I use one myself and so does my son. Whole Foods stores sell non fluride toothpaste. BetterHealth does too. Assembly line processed products are not necessarily good, and sometimes also we have to not take everything a doctor or dentist says as gospel. They only learn western practice, not alternative, which is a darn sight healthier.

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K.W.

answers from Detroit on

I used drops briefly for my kids when the were babies becaues I nursed them so they had minimal water intake. Sometimes they spit up from them a little but at 3 your daughter should be fine. On the other hand if she is 3 you can start havig her practice spitting. My oldest will be 3 in a month and we have been using the toddler toothpaste which does have flouride since christmas. Prior to getting it I had him proactice spitting his baby toothpaste for a couple weeks. You could tell her the easter bunny might bring her big girl toothpaste in her basket so she has to be ready for it. My son did get lazy and quite spitting after we switched and when I told him he would have to go back to baby toothpaste he started spitting it out again. Also if you think your child could tolerate the dentist you can go at 3. My son has his first appt coming up a week after his birthday.

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J.S.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Flouride is real important for young children and I'm glad you are aware of it. I am a hygienist and know the importance of getting flouride as soon as possible. There are flouride supplements. You can ask your dentist for a perscription for flouride tablets. I belive they make chewable ones for young children. Another option is buying the fluoride gallons of water for kids. That could get expensive and not the easiest to do. Most important is watch suger intake (juice,milk) don't ever let her sip on it for hours, best to drink at one setting. I also hope you are brushing her teeth also. The best way to do it is let her brush then you go over all of it again. Kids don't have the ablitly to do a good job till the age 8, studies have shown. Hope any of this has helped you

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A.B.

answers from Grand Rapids on

We started giving our daughter daily fluoride supplements (liquid with a dropper) at 6 months - prescribed by her pediatrician because we have well water and that is when she started having teeth and occasional drinks of water. I would ask your doctor about it.

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J.M.

answers from Lansing on

I also have well water. I would get flouride drops from your dentist. I think it's a perscription and build up better adult teeth for your future.

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S.Y.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Check with her doctor. He/She may be able to prescribe a multivitamin that includes flouride. My daughter has had it prescribed for her. Be prepared though, the doctor may want to know what the flouride content is in your water so he/she can correctly prescribe.

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J.B.

answers from Detroit on

If you are concerned perhaps it might be time to start with just a touch of real toothpaste. I'm not sure what the "experts" are saying about toothpaste with little ones these days, but my kiddos brushed with grown up toothpaste from the time they had their first teeth, not very much mind you. They are boys so spitting it out was half the fun.

We lived in communities where the water was flouridated less than half of our children's growing years (only 8 out of 20). They did have regular flouride treatments from the dentist, but not until they were school age. I do not see any harm from this lack of exposure to flouride in my kids' dental health. My oldest son got his first cavity when he started college. No doubt due to changed eating habits. My youngest is now in college and still has zero cavities. Much better track record than me or my husband who grew up with 100% flouridated water and all that jazz. We both have multiple fillings. I have concluded that the actual care with diet and cleaning of the teeth is more crucial than the flouride intake. She will get her mega doses of flouride when she is old enough to go to the dentist. Do help her with brushing until she has the dexterity and practice to clean properly. This could be anywhere from 6-8 years old, beyond if necessary.

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J.A.

answers from Kalamazoo on

I have a two year old who is also not ready for big girl toothpaste, her doctor prescribed a vitamin supplement with flouride.

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A.R.

answers from Detroit on

Some of the bottled water for kids now has fluoride in it.

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J.R.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My husband is a dentist and since we have well water (with no fluoride) our children were put on fluoride at 6 mo. Talk to your dentist or pediatrician on the content in your water to see if your kids could use supplemental fluoride.
J.

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K.S.

answers from Detroit on

If she has a healthy diet, flouride is not necessary. If you are worried about her teeth getting clean enough, put a little baking soda on her toothbrush.

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K.L.

answers from Kalamazoo on

L.
I used to be a dental assistant prior to my son. You can have them write you a script for a flouride supplement. My son who is two and a half uses toothpaste with flouride I just make sure it is a pea size amount and before he has a chance to stick it in his mouth to suck on it, I brush his teeth for him. I would also get her in to the dentist before age four. maybe the next time you go to have your teeth cleaned she can go with you to see what it's all about. Hope this was of some help.
K.

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N.G.

answers from Lansing on

I have a 1 y.o. and a 5 year old. We drink bottled water, so my kids don't get a lot of flouride. My dentist has prescribed fluoride/vitamins with fluoride to both of my kids to strengthen their teeth. You may want to look into that.

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T.D.

answers from Detroit on

I am not a dentist L. but I give my 21/2 year old floride toothpaste but a very small drop on her brush. Most tubes if I am not mistaken, give you age specifications right on them. Crest and Colgate for instance have children specific toothpastes.
Hope this helps!
Peace and Blessings!

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R.A.

answers from Detroit on

My dentist recomended "nursery water" for those reasons, however we put in reverse osmosis so the idea of buying nursery water to drink and cook with really did not sit well with me. We are talking about it with the peditrician next week at our regular yearly check up.

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J.S.

answers from Kalamazoo on

Have you thought about the nursery water they sell at walmart or meijers 9 or probably pretty much anywhere) that water has flouride in it. maybe try that to see if that helps a little

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D.W.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Here is an article from the Fluoride Action Network on how much fluoride should be in your children's diet.

http://www.fluorideaction.org/statement.august.2007.html

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R.B.

answers from Saginaw on

Your doctor or dentist can prescribe multivitamins with flouride or plain flouride chewables. Both my kids have taken them & one still does.
You can also buy little bottles of water with flouride added.

R.

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A.R.

answers from Lansing on

Babies do not need fluoride at all. What they really need is “foods” high in calcium etc. to develop strong bones and teeth. Not toxic poisons. Please, educate yourself about fluoride. It could be very dangerous for them
www.westonaprice.org A retired dentist named Weston Price did research all over the world to see if he could find any cultures with good teeth. What he found is there were cultures (not touched by Western civilization) that had perfect, straight teeth. Even the old people. He came to the conclusion that even though they had different diets they all had one thing in common. No white flour and white sugar. The most important thing if you want your baby to have great teeth is to learn how to eat right. There is NO proof that fluoride helps stop cavities.

Here is a good article about Floride from a medical doctor- http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/0...

Here is a debate about fluoride. You can buy toothpaste with out fluoride. Toms of Maine has it. http://www.fluoridedebate.com/history.html
·

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T.P.

answers from Detroit on

Please check out some of these articles on flouride....From what I have researched their is NEVER a need to ingest flouride but applying it topically may possibly be beneficial.

http://search.mercola.com/Results.aspx?q=flouride

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D.M.

answers from Detroit on

My girlfriend lives on well and she has a now 7 and 4 year old and she was given flouride tablets to take once a day by her doctor.

Hope this helps
D.

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B.D.

answers from Detroit on

Our pediatrician suggested having our little one, once necessary, drink the Nursery water. We have a well we cannot even drink so I was very concerned about a flouride source for her once she gets a little bigger.

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M.K.

answers from Detroit on

I always gave my kids flouride water from walmart. I mix it juice and i used it for their drinking water. M.

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D.F.

answers from Detroit on

L.~

You may want to talk with your daughter's doctor. When my children were that age we had well water. My Pediatrician gave me a prescription for liquid flouride drops which I could add(as prescribed) to whatever they were drinking. I'm not sure if this is still an option these days, as it has now been 7 years since I needed the extra flouride. May be worth checking into though.

Good Luck. D. F

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A.P.

answers from Detroit on

I have the same problem I have well water so I buy the baby water which has floride in it like the city water and that is what I give my daughter to drink. It is cheapest at Target and Walmart, I did see Babies-R-Us has it for $1 a gallon yesterday. Good luck and I would definitly do something soon so she has healthy teeth!!

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J.F.

answers from Saginaw on

I raised three children on low fluoride well water. Because of finances they didn't even see a dentist until they were 6 -8 years old. They got topical fluoride twice a year at the dentist but not a supplement. The youngest is 21 now and they all have very strong teeth. They had very few cavities. I was always strong on their dental hygiene and genetics is a huge factor. Some people just have bad teeth and need all the help they can get. Remember fluoride is a toxin. Do the research and make an educated choice for your darling.

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K.B.

answers from Lansing on

You could try buying water from the grocery store that has floride in it. That is what we are doing for our son that is 2 1/2. You could also talk to your doctor and ask for a prescription for a multi-vitamin with floride. That is what we have been doing for the last year.

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C.S.

answers from Detroit on

I have worked in dentistry for a number of years the office we are out of is in a more rural community where a number of patients have well water. We rarely give fluoride drops I think I can recall 2 patients that had them over the time I was there and that was because of there tooth health situations. Most do not know that there are a number of foods that actually have fluoride in them so kids get it that way. Putting a very small amount of big girl toothpaste on your daughters tooth brush will not hurt her, teach her to spit (eventhough I know they swallow it as soon as they put it in their mouth) . Keeping a healthy diet and promoting brushing will be your best bet to fight tooth decay. I have seen a lot of kids with cavities and a lot with out and the biggest difference why some had them and some didn't wasn't that they had well water or city but it was the amount of soda they had. We use a demonstration for children's dental health month for the kids were we take a tooth and put it in a glass of Mountain Dew and over the course of the day (6 hours) the pop eroded the enamel off the tooth.

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M.F.

answers from Benton Harbor on

We are also on well water, and our pediatric gave us a prescription for a flouride tablet, that my son takes at bedtime after brushing his teeth.

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J.C.

answers from Lansing on

Make sure your child is on a great supplement that really absorbs and will help her have strong teeth and bones.

I know of a toothpastes that is safe for children even if they swallow it yet it has wonderful properties like stopping tater from growing and it also strengthens gum tissue.

Tarter is one of the culprits of tooth decay.

Also it takes time but floss once a day and give a reward for them doing this...have the child lay down and you sit behind their head so they are upside down. It makes it a whole bunch easier.

Also limit sugar intake.
When they do eat itbrush off as soon as possible.
There is a great book called sugar blues and really teeth decay also from the inside from lack of nutrients from sugar destroying them.
hope this helps, J.

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C.S.

answers from Detroit on

Hi L.,
You may want to do an internet search on the safety of fluoride. There is some very eye opening info. available if you take a few minutes to look into it.
I am sure from your posting you have been led to believe it is a safe and effective treatment to prevent cavities.
However, there is a very real down side to fluoride that your dentist and the ADA won't share with you.
Many states are seeking to have the fluoride removed from their municipal water supply due to the toxicity and long-term health issues fluoride poses.
For right now it is a blessing that your daughter has had minimal exposure to fluoride.
Please take the time to do your own research and see if the risks of a lifetime of fluride consumption are worth the perceived benefits that have been marketed to you and everybody else.
Best of luck.

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M.H.

answers from Detroit on

Hi L.,

Our pediatrician prescribes a mulitvitamin with flouride in it for our children. I was concerned myself about this, but I guess being out here where there is a lot of well water its just something they ask you at the well checkups (if you will be needing the flouride with the multivitamin). Ask your pediatrician about it.

Marci

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J.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Here's my story. We too have well water. I had it teated and it tested on the low side of reconmended flouride. So Dr. said flouride supplement wasn't needed. Well after having cavities on her first dental visit, the dentist give us a sript for flouride. Second daughter, same well, told Dr I wanted flouride. No cavities she is now 6 and no cavities. Hope this helps.

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

my kids take fouride drops.. they are breastfed and so dont get any flouride in their diet.

they start frouride drops at 6 months in breast fed babies.

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V.G.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My mom recently bought us Colgate Childs Toothepaste to try with our girls (almost 3 and 4/12). The girls love it because it has a picture of Dora on the tube. I believe that there is a small amount of flouride in it, but not much. They also have child size toothbrushes, so we put just a little toothepaste on the brush. When we used the infant toothpaste with them, we told them they couldn't suck the toothpaste off - if they did we would start brushing their teeth again. Both girls are very independent, so that didn't wash with them. We don't have a problem with them sucking it off, but their teeth get what they need. Our doctor didn't see a problem with the toothpaste either, as it is geared for young children.

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R.B.

answers from Lansing on

L.,

I've been in the dental field for 23 years. Your daughter is ready to use regular toothpaste. I used to use fluoride toothpaste on my girls since they cut teeth. Just use a peas sized drop on the toothbrush and show her how to brush without swallowing until after she's rinsed and spit. She'll be fine.

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C.M.

answers from Detroit on

Really do your homework before doing the fluoride thing at all.
We do all we can to avoid it completely. It isn't what we've been lead to believe over the years.

I have read that there are things in fluoride that once were in rat poison.

Google: fluoride dangers (this way you don't have to buy anything)

This issue is really important. Please do your homework on this subject. We aren't always told the truth on these issues. Not even by our doctors or government. We live in a money making society. Telling us NOT to use it, I don't think makes anyone money. Food for thought.

or...

Go to a GOOD health food store. The people who work there usually can direct you to the literature they carry on the subject.

Also, check into the chlorine issue. I know you have a well now, but for future info. It's also really bad.

Really do your homework. Our doctors and government don't always tell us the whole story, even if they are aware or suspicious about things. We unfortunately, live in a money making society. No one makes money on this product, if we don't use it.

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J.L.

answers from Kalamazoo on

Hi L., My kids are grown, but we use to have vitamins with fluoride added. Also, if you have well water, we use to be able to get prescriptions from our Dr. Good luck J.

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K.M.

answers from Detroit on

Hi L.,

We have well-water, so I usually buy the gallon jugs of baby-water with flouride. You can usually get them at Walmart for $1.o6 a gallon. The price is right for piece of mind!
Even when I lived in the city I gave the girls the bottled water. My four year old had her first dentist appointment last week and no cavities! Hooray!

Hope this helps!

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A.B.

answers from Saginaw on

The first tooth my little guys got, their doctor recommended a liquid flouride every night after they brushed their teeth.

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L.A.

answers from Detroit on

My daughters pediatrician wrote her a flouride script for the same reason. Just call the office and request a script. Worst case you will need to make an appt to discuss. Hope this helps.

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K.W.

answers from Grand Rapids on

http://www.fluoride-journal.com/98-31-2/312103.htm

I would use precaution with any use of flouride. Sorry to say, but Mothers need to start becoming more intellectual about what they give their children.(or themselves at that) The mainstream will always seem to give you the "right" information. Don't believe it just because the majority says it. Look for yourself.

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A.D.

answers from Detroit on

We lived in a house with a well when my oldest was between 2 and 4, and when she did see the dentist at age 3, the dentist did recommend that we either give her floride tablets, use a floride rinse like ACT (I think) or use water with floride in it from the grocery store. The water is easy to find, at Kroger or Meijer, they usually have it in gallons or even personal kid size water bottles. We found it easiest to just buy the floride water and give that to her in place of tap water.

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K.S.

answers from Saginaw on

Ask your doctor about floride drops. My son takes them daily because the city we live in doesn't have floride in the water and he has been taking them since he turned 1.

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