The benefits of water fluoridation for oral health

FLUORIDATION OF WATER

Limited addition of fluorides into drinking water to prevent tooth problems is called fluoridation. It can occur naturally or artificially. As every coin has its two sides. There is always a debate over its use in public water supply because it has some negative effects. The recognition of importance of health of folk and individual’ means to reduce disease in community and increase health which is an aim of every nation. When workers are healthy, they are able to contribute in development of their nation. If a person wants to live a happy life he should be free from any type of disease. Addition of fluoride is related with the health of the society.

Fluoridation of water is supported by many developed and developing countries. The host of Dental organisations believe that this process helps to deal with many dental problems in a safe and effective manner as it is mention in the 2003 report of The World Oral Health. If we use this water in kitchen for food preparation and bathroom for brushing will help to reduces dental problems, harden tooth enamel promote better oral health. It is money saving measure which saves our money because dental treatments are very expensive and not in the approach of every individual. It is found that in York the children taking fluorinated water has less oral problems than the other ones who don’t take it.

On the other hand, criticisers say that it is unhealthy to use fluoride in public water supply. According to them, it has many side effects on the health. Excess amount of fluoride in the brain can have bad effects on its function. There are other cons of fluoride as it can lead to low IQ level, joint pain, bone cancer and weakening of bones and also interfere the thyroid functioning. In a report collected from Iowa of USA that many of their children consume excess amount of fluoride which cause fluorosis in them. On large amount of fluoride intake the teeth of some people become yellowish and black because their teeth start to damage. The cost of water fluoridation in big cities is very high which affects the economy of that place because ultimately that money comes out from the pockets of their people.

In my opinion, fluoridation of water is beneficial for oral health. All the claims about fluoridation has no real justification. Some countries do not prefer this measure because it is believed some content of fluoride is already present in water which can prevent tooth problems. On top of these, I strongly in favour of fluoridation of drinking water because it is accessible to all families who cannot afford dental care treatment and it is the demand of present time as most of our food contains acids which cause damage to our teeth.

REFERENCES:

1. https://www. safewater. orghttps://en. m. wikipedia. orgepainassist. comthe journal. ie World health Organisation, The World Oral Health Report 2003, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland, 2003.
2. S. M. Levy, J. J. Warren, C. S. Davis, H. L. Kirchner, M. J. Kanellis, and J. S Wefel, ” Pattern of fluoride intake from birth to 36 months,” Journal of Public Health Dentistry, vol. 61, no. 2, pp. 70-77, 2001.
3. View at Google Scholar. View at Scopus. National Research Council(NRC), Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards, National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA, 2006.
4. A. C. Choi, G. Sun, Y. Zhang, and P. Grandjean, ‘’Developmental fluoride neurotoxicity: a systematic review and meta-analysis’’, Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 120, no. 10, pp. 1362-1368, 2012.