this post was submitted on 14 May 2025
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The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced it will begin the process of pulling prescription fluoride drops and tablets for children off the market. The supplements are usually given to kids at high risk for cavities.

The federal government and some state legislatures are increasingly drawing attention to what they claim are the risks associated with fluoride, a mineral that’s been used for decades in community water systems, toothpastes and mouth rinses to prevent tooth decay.

Dentists fiercely contest the notion that the harms of fluoride outweigh the benefits.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago (2 children)

They try to make Americans weak, sick, and dead on all fronts. As of the US government was under control of a hostile country.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

if you visit any of the reviews of FLOURIDE-free toothpaste, you can tell at least some of them have reported cavaties.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (6 children)

I once tried brushing my teeth with baking soda instead of toothpaste for a few weeks. From what I understand, they have about the same level of abrasiveness, so they should be about as good at scrubbing the gunk out of your teeth. The key difference is that toothpaste has fluoride in it. After a while I started having pain/irritation in my mouth and gums. It went away when I went back to toothpaste. So if anyone was looking for anecdotal evidence of fluoride being good for your teeth, there you go.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

Silk Road for fluoride, got it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Oh, cute.

I commented before that one can get 5 gallon bottled fluoridated water, and would like to again point that out. The fluoride may not be as concentrated as in these prescription-level things, but it's available. Can throw it on a water cooler.

Brick-and-mortar pickup:

https://www.arrowheadwater.com/products/where-to-buy

Delivery:

https://www.readyrefresh.com/en/products/arrowhead-spring-water-delivery/arrowhead-5-gallon-water-with-fluoride/p/1311

It looks like there are also some other brands, like Ozarka, but Arrowhead's what I've used.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Why do that when you can get prescription-strength fluoride toothpaste from your dentist if you are concerned about your teeth? Your dentist will be able to tell if you need it or not. You could also look into varnishes and having custom trays made for your teeth that you leave in overnight to remineralize.

Even regular OTC toothpaste is sufficient with proper application, a proper oral care regiment, and regular interventions from the dentist (e.g. cleanings every 6 months).

Fluoride's remineralization benefits are topical. Brush, spit excess, and leave toothpaste on 30 minutes before rinsing. Do not drink or eat anything during that period.

Brush as directed, but at least two times a day. Proper flossing is critical as well. Do not leave acids on your teeth without rinsing with water and do not let plaque develop and stay on your teeth for extended periods, otherwise it hardens into tartar and can't be removed at home.

Obviously certain foods are better for your teeth than others. Grazing/snacking habits can potentially harm your teeth as well. Xylitol mints are a good thing to have during periods where you can't brush. I suggest rinsing with water after consuming food, and especially rinsing after consuming acidic or sugary drinks, no matter where you are.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Because young children have teeth that aren't exposed to topical fluoride.

Their future adult teeth, growing under their gums, in their jaws.

The only way to build them strong is from the inside out, by getting fluoride into the children's systems.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Because children have teeth that aren't exposed to topical fluoride.

Their future adult teeth, growing under their gums, in their jaws.

The only way to build them strong is from the inside out, by getting fluoride into the children's systems.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Calcium makes teeth strong. Fluoride prevents cavities.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

The human body is able to produce strong teeth and enamel unassisted, our diets and habits do the damage. The body is unable to repair the damaged enamel without topical solutions.

If you have a young child where topical fluoride is unadvised, consider nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste, especially if they know how to spit out. I like Fygg's brand, it's made by dentists and the studies are promising. nano-HAp remineralization is less resistant to acid, so please consider fluoride as soon as possible.

As always, consult with a dentist and get their advice before doing anything with your children's teeth — including having regular check-ups with them.

Maintaining systemic fluoride during development does seem attractive to develop tooth structure that is more resistant to acid throughout. However, I believe establishing and maintaining consistent care with dentists and developing solid oral health routines and diet practices, as early in life as possible, are all necessary steps to take and are more than sufficient.

Enamel damage and tooth decay doesn't magically happen, and education lasts for a lifetime.

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

So - this started as a John Bircher thing right?

I’ve just been befuddled at the purpose and the point of this conspiracy theory. I guess Alex Jones’s dad is a dentist (and a Bircher) but I doubt that dentists conspire for us to have bad teeth.

Just generic “I don’t like the gubmit”? Was it a Jewish person who suggested that we improve dental health on a population level? What’s the initial bit of skin or hair that this stupid booger coalesced around?

I guess these weirdos have always been around. We just didn’t put them in charge of health.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I doubt that dentists conspire for us to have bad teeth.

People with bad teeth is literally their main revenue stream?! I wouldn't put it past them.

[–] [email protected] 113 points 1 week ago (3 children)

RFK Jr. strikes again. I'll never understand why people like him can't grasp the idea that the difference between medicine and poison is often dosage.

The amount of fluoride in these tablets is nowhere near unsafe levels. It's not even close.

[–] [email protected] 87 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

He literally doesn't believe in germ theory.

And I don't mean 'literally' as in 'figuratively'. He genuinely doesn't believe in the most basic element of modern health and medicine.

You can't expect him to then grasp something as nuanced as dosage.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Dude took his grandkids swimming in a sewage infested waterway... I mean, you expect someone like that to have even the loosest grasp of anything resembling nuance?

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I really hope an amoeba finishes what the worm started.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago

That poor worm clearly starved to death

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

Water isn't warm enough for them yet

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[–] [email protected] 231 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (12 children)

This is even more nuts than removing fluoride from municipal water systems. At least with that, parents who believe the science that their kids' teeth will be better off with targeted fluoride treatment can buy the drops and tablets, and those who are afraid for some reason can choose to just not use it.

This is just trying to ban access to fluoride entirely, despite research showing its benefits and the distinct lack of significant harm. Madness.

What next, are they going to criminalize sending fluoride drops/pills through the mail, like mifepristone?

Calgary, AB Canada removed fluoride and a decade later added it back after seeing the effects of its absence.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

You could make a great movie about the fluoride prohibition of the 2020s.

[Opening shot: A dark, rain-slicked cityscape. Neon signs flicker. A child’s toothbrush lies abandoned in a puddle.]

Narrator (gravelly voice): In a world where fluoride is forbidden…

[Cut to a sleek black SUV speeding through a checkpoint. Inside, a woman in a lab coat loads a capsule into a hidden compartment behind a false toothpaste tube.]

Narrator: …one syndicate dares to keep the smiles alive.

[Cue dramatic music. A warehouse door slams open. Inside: crates of fluoride tablets, glowing faintly blue. Armed guards in dental scrubs patrol the perimeter.]

Agent Plaque (sternly): “They’re dosing kids in back-alley clinics. We need to shut them down—permanently.”

[Montage: high-speed chases through suburban cul-de-sacs, a drone crashing into a jungle gym, a slow-motion shot of a fluoride pill flying through the air and landing in a glass of water.]

The Molar (smirking): “You can take the fluoride out of the pharmacies… but you can’t take the sparkle out of the people.”

[Cue epic music drop. Explosions. A toothbrush sword fight. A child grinning with unnaturally white teeth.]

Narrator: This summer… the fight for dental freedom begins.

FLUORIDE WARS: THE SPARKLE SYNDICATE

Coming soon to a theater near you. Brush responsibly.

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[–] [email protected] 77 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This is just trying to ban access to fluoride entirely

Well yeah. These are extremists, absolutists, radicals. Their dogma must be simple and without exceptions. If they admit even one scenario where fluoride has more benefits than deficits, their whole ideology and worldview crumbles. Nuance is an existential threat.

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