A report on Fluoride In Hemet’s Drinking Water, At Dr. Duffin’s Hemet Dental Practice Your Total Health is Our Concern.
What is fluoride?
Fluoride exists naturally in water sources and is derived from fluorine, the thirteenth most common element in the Earth’s crust. It is well known that fluoride helps prevent and even reverses the early stages of tooth decay. Fluoride combats tooth decay in two ways. It strengthens tooth enamel, the hard shiny substance that protects the teeth, so they can resist tooth decay. Fluoride cannot repair cavities, but it can reverse low levels of tooth decay and thus prevent new cavities from forming.
How much fluoride is available through public water systems?
Eastern Municipal Water District announced that it increased it’s fluoride levels from the current level of 0.1 –0.4ppm up to 0.7-0.8ppm last October, as recommended by the California Department of Public Health. EMWD provides water to a large portion of Riverside County residents. They are increasing the fluoride levels in the Hemet/San Jacinto Valley summer of 2008. The American Dental Association is a strong supporter of community water fluoridation, and has stated that this is one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century, and as a safe, beneficial and cost-effective way to prevent tooth decay in children and adults.
If you have questions regarding your area’s water fluoride content, the fluoride products your child uses or whether you child is receiving too much or too little fluoride talk to your child’s doctor or dentist.
Ron Duffin, DDS
