The Surprising Truth About Fluoride in Tap Water
When you hear the word “fluoride,” what do you think of? Most likely, your toothpaste! However, did you also know that there is very likely fluoride in your tap water? There’s a longstanding debate about whether or not this is a good thing. In this blog, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of having fluoride in your tap water and what you can do to improve the water quality in your home.
What is Fluoride?
Fluoride is a mineral you can find naturally occurring in water and certain foods, like oatmeal, raisins, and potatoes. The amount you’ll find in your water can vary depending on the area you live in — for example, urban versus rural areas. Soil, volcanic activity, grasses, grains, and forage can all also contribute to the amount of fluoride present in your drinking water.
Technically, fluoride is the ionic form of fluorine, which is the 13th most abundant element in our earth’s crust. This is how it ends up in both the water and air. Furthermore, there are at least 12 states that have laws requiring that bigger communities “fluoridate” their water. These include California, Nevada, Ohio, and Illinois.
Is Fluoride in Tap Water Okay?
Is the fluoride in your water harmless and even beneficial, or should you try to get rid of it?
The Pros of Fluoride
As we’ve already touched on, fluoride is also added to toothpaste. This is because it can strengthen the tooth enamel, which ultimately makes it more resistant to tooth decay. Plus, it reduces how much acid the bacteria on your teeth make. Furthermore, children who brush with fluoride-containing toothpaste have been found to have shallower grooves in their teeth, which means it’s easier to remove plaque — the film of bacteria that forms on the surface of teeth.
Because it can help prevent tooth decay, fluoride is now in the public drinking water for three out of four Americans. This is something decided at the local or state level, and there are different types of fluoride they can choose to add, such as fluorosilicic acid, sodium fluorosilicate, and sodium fluoride.
Since it’s good for your teeth (when used appropriately), does this mean that you also want fluoride in your water? Well, not exactly.
The Cons of Fluoride in Your Tap Water
Yes, a little bit of fluoride in a controlled environment can offer certain benefits to your health — specifically, your oral health.
However, too much fluoride can, ironically, lead to dental fluorosis, which results in white or brown spots on your teeth. It can also lead to skeletal fluorosis, which changes the structure of the bones and actually weakens them. Similarly, excessive fluoride can trigger arthritis and osteoporosis, and other issues with the joints. Furthermore, you might experience muscular damage and fatigue.
When exposed to extreme amounts of fluoride, you might experience damage to the heart, arteries, kidney, liver, neuron system, endocrine glands, and more. It’s no surprise why much of Europe has rejected fluoridation!
So, while a small amount of fluoride in your toothpaste might make your chompers happy, guzzling it down every day from the kitchen faucet is definitely something you want to avoid.
Individuals who rely on well water should be especially careful of this. While public water systems are required to monitor the levels of fluoride (and other minerals, etc.) in the water, in well water systems, it comes down to the owner of the property and home — that’s you! If you’re not testing your water on schedule, you might be consuming more fluoride than you realize.
How Can You Get Rid of Fluoride in Your Home?
If you want to get serious about the quality of your tap water, then having a water purification system you trust is paramount. But it can’t just be any water purifier. Yes, that includes the filter built into your refrigerator or the Brita system you’ve got attached to your faucet. Put simply, those filters aren’t powerful or precise enough to remove potentially harmful contaminants like fluoride — or much else, for that matter.
Reverse osmosis (RO) is, by far, the most effective way to remove contaminants from your tap water — including fluoride, arsenic, chromium, microplastics, lead, nitrate, and PFOA and PFOS, both of which are “forever chemicals” (meaning they break down incredibly slowly). These contaminants can lead to health issues like cancer, skin lesions, cardiovascular disease, thyroid disease, asthma, kidney damage, liver damage, brain damage, and decreased fertility, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many other pollutants that are lurking in your tap water.
How does reverse osmosis work? Well, think of the screen on one of your windows at home. It’s kind of like that, except it’s so precise that the only thing that can pass through a reverse osmosis water filter is… water molecules! That’s how it’s able to eliminate up to 99% of contaminants, leaving you with pure, clean drinking water.
The Sans Standard
The Sans water purifier utilizes a four-layer reverse osmosis filter, removing impurities down to 0.0001 microns in size. It includes UV-C purification, which is the best defense against pathogens like viruses and bacteria. The water quality monitor keeps you alerted in real time, so you can always drink your tap water with complete peace of mind.
Plus, it’s convenient! It instantly dispenses hot water, the glass pitcher will always stay full automatically, and you can remove it in case you want to take it to another room. Plus, the sleek and modern countertop design means that no installation is required.
You can try the Sans water purifier risk-free for 30 days, and it comes with a three-year warranty. Additionally, you can select a filter plan so that the pre/carbon and VOC filter is delivered every 12 months, and the reverse osmosis filters, every 24 months.
Water gives life, but what’s coming out of your faucet might be incredibly polluted. A water purifier is the only way to know that what you and your family are drinking is safe.