tell me more - pros and cons of fluoride

[KristyMum]

long story short
there's two quite different schools of thought on fluoride (in the water and in toothpaste).
Anyone want to share why?
Why you chose what you have?
The good and bad of fluoride please?

bc both sides make sense, to some degree so it's a bit of a ... well which one do I choose for my kids and for me?

[kermi]

Since some of us Qlders are opposing the introduction of it to our water system, there is a heap of information on the QAWF

[lincolnsmum]

thanks for that link carmen heaps of great info

carly

[Theresa]

was going to suggest that link too

[KristyMum]

cool thanks

atm the two drinking taps (existing) have filters on them at school, donated by parents.
But there is at least one parent in our class who definately WANTS their child to have fluoride in the drinking water so doesn't want another filter put on the new tap (each kid has their own drink bottle as well)... and I wondered bc I never really looked in depth - just knew that filtered water tasted better iykwim and a few basic things but not HEAPS of info
anyway so thanks

btw I am interested in a debate for information/pov kinda reasons,
so long as everyone plays nice

[bamboogal]

i think there was a fairly recent thread on this. also only the super filters(expensive ones) remove fluoride.

here we go:
QLD to get fluroide??

[angelskies]

actually the super expensive filters sadly don't remove it, only the cheap small osmosis filters remove it properly =(

[Rodent]

We are pro-flouride in our house. We do not use bottled water or filter it. There has been a strong correlation between flouride=strong teeth and no flouride=cavities in our family. I'd be pretty annoyed if all flouride was filtered out of the water my kids had to drink too to be honest so I understand where that mother is coming from. And btw, I prefer the taste of flouridated water, definitely not true that bottled tastes better. Experiments I've seen have shown there to be no difference in preference.

--Rodent

[KristyMum]

It was the Dad who spoke up in our class

I understand the link between teeth and fluoride. That I get, which is why it's a bit um ar in terms of choice.
Yes it's (apparently) good for teeth but what ISN'T it good for... yk? What's the negatives of it and I don't just mean taste.
Esp since they rec a low fluoride toothpaste for kids under [age] - there must be a reason.

just knew that filtered water tasted better

I should add, just knew from personal experience, my own tastes, filtered water tastes MUCH better.
I can taste the difference between filtered/not filtered. Darn straight. I know some people say they don't mind either but I never thought someone would prefer the taste of fluoride-water, so there you go.
Also I know people filter not just for the chems in the water but also water quality in terms of the pipes it runs through etc.

Up north the tap water where I grew up tasted good, still does.
But here in the city, the tap water does make you feel briefly blergh after you drink it - makes it a real challenge to get the number of rec glasses of water a day. So I don't kno if that's just location or if it's what they put in it in the city. I do know that when most of the city is asleep if you turn the water on, you can smell the chlorine or whatever it is...

Also have had the opp of spring water where my [lives] that's what they run everything water-related from and it tastes GREAT. (no fluoride there.) So the experiments obviously missed me and a lot of other people lol or maybe it's that we can taste not just the fluoride but all the other stuff they put in there too?

(eta off to read mentioned links)

[KristyMum]

good points Bek