this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

but what about my precious bodily fluids?!?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 18 hours ago

"Have you ever seen a commie drink a glass of water?"

[–] [email protected] 0 points 18 hours ago

I don't avoid women, Mandrake, but I do deny them my essence.

[–] Rookwood 10 points 21 hours ago (14 children)

Fluoridated water doesn't seem to make a difference on cavities. It does have neurological effects. It's simply not acutely fatal. It's already in our toothpaste. We don't need it in our municipal water supply and the majority of developed countries don't.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/fluoridated-drinking-water/

[–] [email protected] 6 points 19 hours ago

Only 3% of Quebec's population has access to fluoridated water and we have way more dental issues than any other province in Canada.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 21 hours ago (4 children)

I appreciate that you put some reputable sources, rather than relying on a random tweet/post.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 20 hours ago

Interesting. The article doesn’t actually say that fluoridation in water supplies is dangerous but that some researchers are questioning. Generally code for lack of scientific evidence. It also finds that early studies may have had a flawed basis (pretty much all early studies have been found wanting by later scientists) but doesn’t refute the results.The study mentioned in the article talks about high levels of fluoridation which I assume is in lab tests however these levels are not the case in water supplies.

The correct way forward is more actual science based studies.

[–] Ramblingman 5 points 20 hours ago

The bad part about Rfk jr is he probably mixes in some science with quackery. I honestly assumed all his ideas are insane. That's what's so hard about being discerning right now, you have to be on one side or the other.

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[–] cikano 6 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

But what about our precious bodily fluids?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 18 hours ago

I don't avoid women, Mandrake, but I do deny them my essence.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 20 hours ago

Lemminologist here:

the fluoride levels vary because that’s how numbers do in reality

[–] Gingerlegs 8 points 22 hours ago

the people that need to hear this will never believe you.

[–] Luvs2Spuj 1 points 16 hours ago

Toxicology isn't a real profession. These people are run by big toxicity. For real water advice you want a homeopath.

[–] Im_old 4 points 22 hours ago (4 children)

The question is: does it make sense to buy toothpaste with fluoride then or can I buy one without? Just because my kids don't like the peppermint ones and other flavours are most of the times without fluoride

[–] [email protected] 10 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Non-fluoridated toothpaste is mainly for kids who are too young to be able to consistently spit it all out. The concentration of fluoride in toothpaste is high enough that you shouldn't be swallowing it, because doing that on the regular is harmful to your teeth. Gray discoloration is one of the first symptoms.

If your kids are capable of doing "rinse and spit," then they should be using fluoridated toothpaste.

[–] Dabundis 7 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

And even then, there's a significant safety margin worked into the advice that you shouldn't swallow toothpaste. You'd need to eat several tubes of prescription strength toothpaste to get sick from fluoride.

Still rinse and spit though

[–] [email protected] 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Absolutely true - and I just remembered, even if your kids are little and using non-fluoridated toothpaste, you should still be using this time to teach them rinse and spit.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

What is this rinse? You are supposed to leave the toothpaste on your teeth iirc. No water rinse.

Edit sorry realized this comes off harsh but not sure how to fix it. Lmao

[–] EtherWhack 3 points 18 hours ago

With you having to judge millions of children, that you need to get high just to stay sane; you get a pass.

But there is a general recommendation to not eat or drink for 15-30min after brushing to give enough time for the fluoride to bind to any exposed enamel surfaces. It's also better to use a fluoridated mouthrinse over water, if getting the grittyness is what you're after.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 20 hours ago

Always buy flouride toothpaste.

[–] Rookwood 2 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

Fluoridated toothpaste is more effective than drinking water. The fluoride works by direct contact with the enamel. Another reason it doesn't make sense to put it in drinking water.

[–] SuperIce 3 points 20 hours ago

Fluoride in the water is beneficial in the pre-eruptive phase (when teeth are still growing). Fluoride ingestion increases tooth resistence to cavities if the ingestion happened while they were growing.

This does mean that fluoride in water isn't really useful after you have all your permanent teeth though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

For other toothpaste that still strengthens enamel, there is toothpaste with hydroxyapatite (which can be ingested, at least that specific ingredient). Though it is probably more expensive.

[–] tomalley8342 1 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Unfortunately hydroxyapatite is not approved for dental use in the United States of America.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

I mean you can buy it here in a normal store. So I'm not sure if you mean a dentist can't use/provide it, or if you're thinking about the nano forms of it.

Edit, just saw this:

the FDA regulates dental products like toothpaste as cosmetics rather than therapeutic agents for cavity prevention

Interestingly, many ingredients used in dental care, including fluoride, are employed off-label. This means they are used in ways not officially approved by the FDA but are still considered effective based on scientific evidence and clinical practice

[–] [email protected] 2 points 20 hours ago

throws Coors light

"That's just what they want you to think!"

Come up with a rebuttal to this that an ignorant right-winger would believe.

[–] Sam_Bass 1 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Used to be a thing about it turning your teeth green

[–] _bcron_ 2 points 22 hours ago

Now say something that bros can really understand, like "fluoride affects zinc and magnesium absorption". Just don't tell them how it interacts

[–] [email protected] 1 points 19 hours ago

It could likely be replaced with hydroxyapatite instead (it also can be used to remove lead and other things from water, which makes searching about being added to municipal water difficult). Good for not only teeth, also bones.

I also wonder if adding other vitamins would make more sense (just enough to stop deficiencies) if we're talking about health outcomes, though the first idea I had with vitamin C came up with results of that messing with the chlorine in the water.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 16 hours ago

The question about this is that the same can be said about lead. Do we want to consume that?

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