Ask Lemmy

Let's go look at OP's account

joined hours ago, makes a dozen inflamatory posts in that time

Guessing it's a troll or bot

Yes/yes

The benefits far outweigh the downsides and it's my personal belief that this is a gateway conspiracy theory

The venn diagram of anti vaccine and anti fluoride people is damn near a circle in my experience so my gut says put the fluoride in.

Yes and yes. Look up what happened when Edmonton removed fluoride from their tap water. The results were so poor that they ended up having to add it back.

It probably doesn't matter very much, given that the four countries you listed aren't exactly having problems because of it.

No. Someone more knowledgeable than me was paid good money to think about if we should do it and I'm happy to go with whatever they say over my afternoon on wikipedia level knowledge.

I don't think so, because this is a small community and water systems are pretty basic.

I would prefer it, though. It's been studied to death and there's only upsides. The nearest major city has it.

I'm on a well so no added fluoride. I do make sure to use a fluoride mouth wash to compensate.

I always found people freaking out about it to be silly. There’s places like West Texas (Ogallala Aquifer) and East Africa where fluoride levels are naturally high but nobody shrieks about that. The data shows it’s good for the health of your teeth, and having healthy teeth and gums is highly correlated with good health in general.

The UK has been adding fluoride to drinking water since the early 1960s.

There's no evidence whatsoever that it has had anything but a positive impact.

Now excuse me whilst I go and get a monocle for mt third eye.

There's regular controversy around the age of the earth, the shape of the earth, and whether astronauts have ever been on the moon.

The Harvard article mostly talks about whether fluoride helps adults. The safety concerns are mostly about fluorosis. That has very specific symptoms on the teeth themselves, and if you see it you should be investigating whether someone is swallowing lots of toothpaste first.

You will see a lot of crappy medical science touted by universities. Many of their hospitals offer "alternative and complementary" medical treatments because people are willing to pay for them. Scientific consensus from experts and what you can find some kook supporting are not the same thing.

The neurotoxicity study from Mullenix doesn't have teeth (pun intended), and the people who keep touting it 30 years later might as well be flat earthers.

Your title sounds like an awful pickup line at a bar

Oh no better dental hygiene how terrifying. My teeth are weak so I've got to take high fluoride toothpaste anyway, I don't care if it's in drinking water or not.

UK here. We have fluoride in our water. My understanding is it's good for teeth and helps prevent dental problems with little/no downsides.

My dad is a conspiracy theorist nut who thinks it's a government mind control agent or something so both sides get purchase over here.

I'm in Germany so fluoride is not a thing in our water. I don't think it's necessarily unethical to add it though.

For those living in countries that do this, does it have any effect on taste or limit how the water can be used, e.g. for watering plants, cooking etc?

Yes and yes.

Having lived in Ireland and moved to Germany, it sucks hell and I'm happy here now.

Fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face.

Do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk... ice cream. Ice cream, children's ice cream!

You know when fluoridation first began? Nineteen hundred and forty-six. 1946. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.

Edit: For those who haven't seen the cinematic masterpiece Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Some Anglosphere countries (USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia) love to add fluoride in water.

Not sure about the other countries you mentioned but wanted to note that not all cities in the United States add fluoride to their water systems. I'm in the U.S. in a city without fluoride water treatment, there are definitely others.

Do they put fluoride in your drinking water ?

No.

Are you happy with that?

Yes.

My understanding is that fluoride's benefits are mainly as a topical treatment, meaning its best used as part of toothpaste or rinse.

Nope.

You get it from salt and toothpaste.

No. 100% pure and unfiltered mountain water.