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FLUORIDE SUPPLEMENTS

At the right (below on mobile) are guidelines for prescribing oral fluoride supplements from the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) and the American Dental Association (ADA).

 

Relevant text has been highlighted. Also the table in the ADA file  and  Table II on page 7 in the CDA doc shows the amounts of oral fluoride supplements that dentists can prescribe for children per day.

Dentists cannot prescribe any amount of a fluoride supplement to babies 6 months or younger and a maximum of 0.25 mg of a fluoride supplement to babies between 6 months and 3 years.

Fluoridated water = 0.7ppm = 0.7mg / l = 0.23 mg fluoride in a regular glass of water (333 ml), which means that fluoridated water results in bottle fed babies, children and people of all ages ingesting amounts of fluoride that surpass the daily limits of fluoride supplements that Canadian and US dentists can prescribe to people living in non-fluoridated areas.

As the CDA & ADA texts stipulate, before a US or Canadian dentist can prescribe fluoride supplements, the dentist must first:

  • Assess their patients dental caries risks (diet, oral hygiene habits, etc.)

  • Ensure that their patient is consuming non-fluoridated water with naturally low levels of fluoride.

  • Assess the patient’s overall daily exposure to fluoride from toothpaste, mouthwashes, foods & drinks.


TAKE HOME MESSAGES
 

  • When dentists or doctors endorse water fluoridation, they are encouraging a practice that results in children and adults receiving more daily fluoride than a dentist or doctor can prescribe in the form of oral fluoride supplements.
     

  • Contrary to administering fluoride through public water, prescribing oral fluoride supplements requires:

    • Individual assessment of dental caries risk

    • Individual assessment of overall daily fluoride exposure levels

    • Dosage monitoring

    • CONSENT
       

FINAL NOTE

 

People who truly want to swallow daily fluoride can get a prescription and purchase a year's supply of fluoride supplements for as little as $13.

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