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Comparison of Studies: Effects of Fluoride concentration in Drinking Water

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Since the implementation of artificially introducing fluoride into water, a great amount of resistance has taken place. Many people claim that fluoridating community water sources can cause not only dental fluorosis, but a multitude of adverse systemic conditions. This perception has led to many political battles on the subject. The problems associated with fluoride ingestion tend to present when concentrations are higher that generally accepted. In communities with natural high fluoride concentrations, adverse effects have range from dental and skeletal fluorosis to decreased birth rates, increased kidney stones, impaired thyroid function, and lower intelligence (Chen, 2013, p. 1). These tend to be the concerns of the opposition to …show more content…

Showing a decrease in systemic exposure to fluoride. However, the study also found that urinary fluid concentrations were higher than drinking water concentrations (Chen, 2013, p. 7). The other factors measure, indicators of changes in bone metabolism that may result in adverse effects, remained low in low concentrations of fluoride in drinking water (Chen, 2013, p. 6). This shows that a low concentration of fluoride in drinking water does not cause the bone problems that many opposition to water fluoridation are concerned with. It does show that fluoride levels need to be closely monitored and the body’s metabolism of fluoride taken into account, because of some systemic accumulation. In another article about water fluoridation, we look at the dental risk and benefits of implementing this program. Well less saturated with pure scientific evidence, it provides factual information in a more understandable manor. The study centers on measurement of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMF index) in the population of children five to fifteen years old, in Ireland, from the span of 1960 to 2002, in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas (Harding & O'Mullane, 2013, p. 133). The mean DMF score was significantly lower in children consuming fluoridated water over the rate of occurrence in those with non-fluoridated water (Harding & O'Mullane, 2013, p. 133). Though in recent years, the contrast is less severe. I speculated this may be due to an

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