this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2026
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One of the little known historical gems about peoples meeting each other was when the early European settlers got to the Southwestern US, many were astonished by the fact that among the native tribes - even the oldest member had beautiful teeth. Fluoride is naturally occurring in the water in many parts of the southwest.
Yes! Apparently some communities have to remove it from the water first because the naturally occurring levels are too high in modern times now that people brush with it.
I actually have Fluorosis stains on my front teeth. I had no idea what caused that before. I’ve had it for a very long time. It’s just a cosmetic symptom so I’m not worried about it. Something like 25% of the population have staining on teeth from Fluorosis and it’s how the communities can tell when Fluoride levels need to be adjusted in water.
Fluoride levels in water used to be much higher but as society got better at brushing their teeth, it wasn’t needed as much.
I used to have that as well! It does fade with time and in my case, those are the teeth I have with the least wear on them now. (am in my 60's) Still needing a few crowns in the next couple of years, but that's expected after such a long time..