Despite decades of evidence that fluoride prevents cavities, the agency said the best way to keep kids' teeth strong is to stop eating so much sugar.

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.

  • Ledericas@lemm.eeEnglish
    7·
    13 hours ago

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

    • renzev@lemmy.world
      1·
      11 hours ago

      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.