Fluorine - Water Fluoridation, Water Fluoridation Controversy, Skeletal Fluorosis, Carbon-Fluorine Bond, Covalent Radius of Fluorine (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 29. Chapters: Water fluoridation, Water fluoridation controversy, Skeletal fluorosis, Carbon-fluorine bond, Covalent radius of fluorine, Isotopes of fluorine, Krypton fluoride laser, History of water fluoridation, Fluoride Action Network, Fluorous chemistry, Fluorine-19 NMR, International Symposium on Fluorous Technologies, Quartz Fluorine Tube. Excerpt: Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride to a public water supply to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water has fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities; this can occur naturally or by adding fluoride. Fluoridated water operates on tooth surfaces: in the mouth it creates low levels of fluoride in saliva, which reduces the rate at which tooth enamel demineralizes and increases the rate at which it remineralizes in the early stages of cavities. Typically a fluoridated compound is added to drinking water, a process that in the U.S. costs an average of about $0.95 per person-year. Defluoridation is needed when the naturally occurring fluoride level exceeds recommended limits. A 1994 World Health Organization expert committee suggested a level of fluoride from 0.5 to 1.0 mg/L (milligrams per litre), depending on climate. Bottled water typically has unknown fluoride levels, and some domestic water filters remove some or all fluoride. Dental caries remain a major public health concern in most industrialized countries, affecting 60-90% of schoolchildren and the vast majority of adults. Water fluoridation prevents cavities in both children and adults, with studies estimating an 18-40% reduction in cavities when water fluoridation is used by children who already have access to toothpaste and other sources of fluoride. Although water fluoridation can cause dental fluorosis, which can alter the appearance of developing teeth, most of this is mild and usua...