In the early 1930s, researchers noticed that people living in communities with naturally high levels of fluoride in the water had fewer cavities.  Studies showed that fluoridated water was not only safe but beneficial. Community water facilities began adding fluoride to their water in an effort to prevent cavities.  According to America’s Health Rankings, Kentucky is the healthiest state with 99.9% of its population receiving fluoridated water.  Hawaii is the least healthy state with only 11.7% of its residents receiving fluoridated water.  Within the entire United States, 74.4% of the population has access to fluoridated water from a public water company.

Benefits of Fluoride

The main benefit of adding fluoride to water is to improve dental health.  In growing children, fluoride helps to build up the strength of their developing permanent teeth.  In adults, supplemental fluoride supports tooth enamel which promotes healthy teeth.  For both children and adults, this means fewer cavities and fillings, reduced need for tooth extraction, and less pain from dental issues.  In turn, people with healthier teeth miss less school and less work due to dental pain.

Can You Get Too Much Fluoride?

While fluoride does have proven benefits, too much fluoride can have some negative effects.  When exposed to excessive exposure, people can develop fluorosis, a condition that causes damage to the bones, joints, and teeth. Researchers have done studies that show that children who ingest high amounts of fluoride can develop spots and discoloration on both their baby teeth and their adult teeth that are still below the gumline.

In order to help prevent fluorosis, the EPA regulates the allowable limit for fluoride that can be present in drinking water.  The maximum contaminant level (MCL) is set at 4.0 mg/L or 4.0 ppm. If a public water system exceeds the fluoride MCL of 4 mg/L, the company must notify its customers.  The notification should happen within 30 days of discovering the violation.

How Much Fluoride Is in My Water?

If you have water from a public water company, there are many resources that can you can access to help determine how much fluoride is in your water.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a website called, “My Water’s Fluoride.”  On this site, you can filter down by state and then county to find the name of your water company.  It will show you the water source and whether or not the water is fluoridated along with an explanation.  If the water is fluoridated, you will see the amount of fluoride concentration.

Here is a quick reference by state that shows the number of people who have access to fluoridated water from a public water source.

2018 Water Fluoridation By State

Source: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/water_fluoridation/state/ALL?edition-year=2018

Testing Your Water for Fluoride

Almost all water contains some level of fluoride, whether natural or supplemental.  If you have well water, it is important to know the fluoride content of your water. This is especially true if you have children. It is recommended that private well owners test their water regularly for a variety of contaminants, including fluoride. If fluoride is found to be above the recommended levels, there are treatment options available.

Even if you have municipal water, the levels provided by the water company are only for water tested at the source.  If you want to know what the fluoride levels are for the water coming out of your tap, you will need to test your water.

You can quickly and easily test your water with an at-home test kit or a laboratory test kit.  An at-home test kit allows you to test your water for the presence of fluoride. However, the results are not as precise as laboratory testing.  With the TestAssured Fluoride Test Kit, you collect a water sample and send it to our certified laboratory for testing. Simply collect your water sample in the sterilized vials provided in the kit and return them to the lab in the postage-paid return package to get a detailed analysis of the fluoride levels in your water.

Treating Water for Excess Fluoride

It is important to make sure that you are not ingesting excess fluoride.  If you find out that your water has too much fluoride, there are simple steps you can take.  The best way to reduce the amount of fluoride in your water is to invest in a distillation or reverse osmosis system.  These treatment options are an effective method for reducing fluoride to the recommended levels.

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The debate about the need for supplemental fluoride has become heated in recent years.  Fluoride is a natural mineral found in the soil that can sometimes penetrate into our water supplies.  In the 1930s, researchers determined that people in areas with naturally fluoridated water had fewer cavities than people who didn’t consume fluoridated water.  This led to municipalities adding fluoride to public water sources.  Fluoride is also commonly added to toothpastes and other dental products. There is no argument that fluoride is necessary for oral health, but there is a growing concern that we are getting too much fluoride these days. 

While fluoride can help reduce the incidence of tooth decay, too much fluoride may contribute to health issues.  Some studies show that excessive exposure to fluoride can cause a condition known as fluorosis which damages the teeth, joints, and bones. Data indicate that today’s children are occasionally exposed to too much fluoride. Depending on the frequency and duration of the overexposure, it can cause severe dental fluorosis in the teeth.  This can leave children with spots and discoloration on both their baby teeth and permanent adult teeth.  Excessive fluoride can also cause skeletal fluorosis, resulting in painful joints and damaged bones.  In extreme cases, too much fluoride can affect the parathyroid gland, causing hyperparathyroidism.

The Allowable Limit for Fluoride

The EPA has set an allowable limit for fluoride in drinking water.  Their maximum contaminant level (MCL) is 4.0 mg/L or 4.0 ppm. The EPA has set this level as a measure to prevent potential health problems. If a public water system exceeds the fluoride MCL of 4 mg/L, the company must notify its customers as soon as possible within 30 days of discovering the violation.

Public Water Sources

If your drinking water comes from a public source, you can easily find out what the fluoride level is in your water.  There is also a resource established by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called  “My Water’s Fluoride.”  This interactive map allows you to click on your state and drill down to your county to find out whether the public water is fluoridated.  There are 39 states that participate and share their water information.  If your state does not share their information online, you can call your water utility.  You can find the name and contact information of the water utility on your water bill.

Well Water

Almost all water contains some level of fluoride.  If you have well water, it is important to know the fluoride content of your water, particularly if you have children. It is recommended that private well owners test their wells test their water regularly for a variety of contaminants, including fluoride. If fluoride is found to be above the recommended levels, there are treatment options such as reverse osmosis and distillation that can help to remove fluoride from your drinking water.

Bottled Water

Even some bottled water can contain fluoride.  Bottled water that has been de-ionized, purified, or distilled should not contain any more than trace amounts of fluoride.  However, it is important to read the label to determine if fluoride has been added as an ingredient.  Naturally sourced bottled waters like spring water and mineral water are highly likely to contain fluoride that is naturally present in the water source.  The FDA has set specific limits for fluoride in bottled water based on several factors, including the source of the water. These limits range from 0.8 to 2.4 milligrams per liter.

Testing for Fluoride

If you are concerned about the level of fluoride in your drinking water, there are a number of testing options available.  One of the simplest tests is an at-home test kit. These kits allow you to quickly and easily test your water for the presence of fluoride, but the results are not as precise as laboratory testing.  TestAssured offers a Fluoride Test Kit that allows you to send your water to our certified laboratory for testing. Simply collect your water sample in the provided sterilized vials and return them to the lab in the postage-paid return package to get a detailed analysis of the fluoride levels in your water.

How to Treat Water with Excess Fluoride

If test results show that your water contains high levels of fluoride, there are steps you can take to lower the amount of fluoride in your drinking water.  Charcoal filtration systems and boiling water will not remove fluoride.  In order to lower the fluoride levels, you will need to invest in a distillation or reverse osmosis system.  Both of these treatment methods have been proven effective for reducing fluoride to below the 4.0 mg/L recommended level.

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