Healthy Drinking Habits
Fluoride in certain amounts has been proven for almost 100 years to strengthen teeth and minimize tooth decay. Only 25 countries have water fluoridation programs, representing 5% of the world’s population. Surprisingly, only 64% of the US population has access to fluoridated water.
Sources of fluoride fall into two broad categories: systemic and topical fluoride. You get systemic fluoride when you drink fluoridated water or other beverages, or if you take fluoride supplements in the form of tablets, drops, or lozenges. “Systemic” means the fluoride goes throughout your body, instead of just being applied to one spot. When you drink fluoridated water or take a supplement, the fluoride is absorbed in your gut and gets into your bloodstream. When the fluoride reaches your bones and teeth, it gets pulled in and actually becomes part of their structure
Systemic fluoride is especially helpful for young children because it can strengthen teeth while they’re still forming. That way, they’re protected from decay before they ever come in contact with food. It’s protection from the inside out. Even if you have all your permanent teeth, systemic fluoride can be helpful because it ends up in your saliva, which then offers an ongoing protective fluoride bath to your teeth.
Many of you come from many different areas to visit us. The following towns provide you with these amounts of fluoride. If they fall below the EPA national limit of between 2-4 milligrams per liter (mg/L), you should be aware of other sources of fluoride.
Red Bank- between .9 – 1.2 milligrams per liter- below.
If the town you live in does not supply you with fluoridated water, utilizing fluoride in its topical forms is recommended.
Topical fluoride is the kind you find in mouthwashes and toothpaste, and in the varnishes, gels, and foams you might get at our office. Topical fluoride protects teeth from the outside in, which also helps them withstand the effects of cavity-forming acids in the mouth.
Regarding the acidity of water, a home water filter is the best solution because it also filters contaminants. We recommend the following:
Aquagear 8-Cup Water Filter Pitcher – Best for Family of Three Big Berkey Gravity-Fed Water Filter – Best Countertop Filter Home Master Artesian Reverse Osmosis – Best Under-Sink Filter Culligan FM-15A Faucet Mount Filter – Best Faucet Filter Home Master HMF3SDGFEC – Best Whole House for WellWater Home Master TMHP HydroPerfection – Best Undersink for Well Water Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain – Best Softener for Hard Water Sawyer Products PointOne Squeeze – Best Mini Filter for Backpackers Travel Berkey Water Filter Stainless Steel – Best Portable Filter for Car
While bottled water is convenient, we do not recommend it because the cost can be prohibitive and the plastic being used is not environmentally friendly. However, if you were to purchase water, the pH and fluoride content plays a key role in keeping or harming the enamel. Few bottled waters make transparent their amount of fluoride. However, they do share their pH, or acid content. Water at or above 7.0 pH level is considered basic, or alkaline, and not harmful to the enamel of your teeth. Water under the 7.0 pH level is considered acidic and over time will strip the layer of enamel.
Always be aware of the bottled water pH content. Surprisingly common bottled water ranges drastically in their pH.
Most importantly, you should drink 8 cups of 8 ounces of water a day or 64oz (1/2 gallon).
The following waters are recommended:
TEN Alkaline- 10 pH
Essentia- 9.5 pH
Kirkland- pH 8.5
Real Water- 8.0 pH
Voss- 7.6 pH
Fiji- 7.5 pH
Nestle Pure Life- 7.3 pH
Evian- 7.0 pH
The following waters are not recommended:
Smart Water- 6.7 pH
Poland Spring- 6.0 pH
Aquafina- 6.0 pH
Perrier- 6.0 pH
Dasani- 5.6 pH
Deer Park- 5.5 pH
