There is a lot of misinformation about fluoride supplements. Hopefully, this video will answer whatever questions you may have.

If for some reason the video does not load, we’ve included the transcript for your convenience. To schedule, an appointment with Nashville Restorative Dentistry call (615) 640-8494 .

Fluoride Supplements: Healthy or Harmful?

Dr. G. Cole: I’m Dr. Griffin Cole, a practicing dentist of over 20 years here in Austin, Texas. This package that I’m holding here contains sodium fluoride. Sodium fluoride is a drug that is routinely prescribed to children in the United States as a means to prevent cavities, it also comes in tablets and lozenges. These forms of fluoride are often called fluoride supplements but don’t let the word supplement fool you, as these are not supplements in the way that calcium, magnesium, and other real nutrients are. In fact, due to fluoride’s toxicity you can’t even buy fluoride supplements over the counter, you can only get them through a prescription. And unlike true dietary supplements, fluoride is not an essential nutrient, which means you don’t need to swallow any fluoride to maintain good health.

Dr. G. Cole: It’s also crucial for you to know that according to a recent warning letter from the FDA, marketing fluoride drugs as cavity preventatives violates federal law because the FDA has never approved these drugs for this purpose. Yet these drugs are still being prescribed to millions of children throughout the U.S. and are even still being sold at the nation’s largest pharmacies including Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, and Walmart. That’s exactly why we need your help to remove these unapproved drugs from shelves.

Dr. G. Cole: The overwhelming consensus among scientists today is that fluoride’s primary benefit to teeth comes from topical application to the outside of the teeth, such as from brushing and rinsing, and not from ingestion. So there’s no need for children to swallow any fluoride, whether in drops, tablets, or water. Swallowing fluoride is not only ineffective, it’s potentially dangerous, especially for children. Fluoride is now well-recognized as an endocrine-disrupting substance and a neurotoxin. Studies suggest that ingesting fluoride during early childhood may cause learning and behavioral problems, low thyroid function, and other potential harm including bone fragility, bone cancer, and dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is a visible mineralization defect of tooth enamel caused by excessive ingestion of fluoride during childhood, which can be permanently disfiguring when present on a child’s front teeth.

Dr. G. Cole: Based on what we now know about fluoride, we need to find ways to reduce children’s intake of fluoride, not increase it. Removing unapproved, ineffective, and dangerous fluoride drugs from the market is one obvious way to do that. You can help put an end to this illegal practice by sharing these essential facts with others. One, you don’t need to swallow fluoride in any form, whether in tablets, drops, lozenges, or water. Two, ingesting fluoride presents serious health risks, particularly for young children. And three, fluoride supplements are prescription drugs that have never been approved by the FDA.

Dr. G. Cole: The Fluoride Action Network and the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology have filed a petition with the FDA calling on the agency to take action against all companies selling fluoride supplements. Please sign our petition to tell the FDA that you agree.

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We understand the importance of having a dentist you can trust. And that means not being sent off to a different specialist every time you need a new procedure. At Nashville Restorative Dentistry, we are equipped to handle the majority of your dental needs from cosmetic to restorative, implants to extractions. When you come to us, you are getting a dental team for life.

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