Does Water Purifiers Remove Fluoride and Should They?

Does Water Purifiers Remove Fluoride – Available tap water coming from the city is treated in facilities before arriving at private homes for use. Out of curiosity and in an effort to make sure drinking water is safe, many people have taken to testing their water. This was how it was discovered that even water from the municipality can have several contaminants and impurities. Not only does tap water not offer a definite guarantee of purity but can have added components to it, like fluoride which is intentionally included.

Many advocates of implementing water filtration systems in their homes wish to be rid of potential risky impurities as well as excess fluoride. There is a myriad of different kinds of water filtration systems that can deal with a slew of water contaminants, fluoride included. But as fluoride is added for the benefit of the user, should it even be removed?

Contents

Benefits and inconveniences of fluoridation

The inclusion of fluoride in public supplies is usually done to prevent tooth decay, and improve dental health in general. The same substance is present in many brands of toothpaste for that very same reason. Putting fluoride into water is a relatively new idea as the first time it began was in 1945 in the US, and 1964 in the UK. 

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Positives of fluoride in drinking water

Assessing the positive aspect of water fluoridation, studies have shown that in small doses, it has positive effects on dental health, especially among the child population. The rich food of the 20th century has made it so that many people exhibit tooth decay at some point in their life. 

Bacteria break the sugar and carbs from the food in the mouth and produce acids that attack the enamel of the teeth. It refers to as demineralization and leads to cavities. Fluoride comes in to remineralize the teeth’ enamel and prevent cavities. It can even reverse the process of tooth decay if caught early on. 

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Negatives and risks of fluoride in drinking water

Many people cite the need to opt-out of the obligatory fluoridation of their water, mentioning that they have not given their express consent to have it at their tap. Others cite that excessive fluoride in the water could cause health issues if the dosage is higher than it should be. The concern about whether there may be too much fluoride in the water comes as there usually is a certain dosage used everywhere. Without taking into account the natural occurrence of fluoride which can increase that basic dosage, the issue expressed is that there are no measurements for naturally occurring fluoride.

  • Dental fluorosis – Fluoride concentration that is deemed low risk is one of 0.7 parts per million, anything over 4.0 ppm can be perilous. Prolonged exposure to this kind of fluoride concentration since childhood, as the teeth are developing, can lead to the development of mild dental fluorosis. This looks like white stains on the teeth, and as noticeable as this is, it does not affect the teeth’ health. 
  • Skeletal fluorosis – Excessive and prolonged fluoride exposure can lead to a bone disease named skeletal fluorosis. Bones and joints can be damaged as well as become hardened and lose some of their elasticity. 
  • The parathyroid gland can become damaged due to excess fluoride exposure causing thyroid problems. 

do water purifiers remove fluoride

Does water purifiers remove fluoride?

Commonly, a lot of water purifiers are capable of removing fluoride from drinking water. The most efficient that can remove all forms of ionic particles, including completely taking out fluoride, is a de-ionization filter. Reverse-osmosis filters are also some of the most effective at eliminating contaminants, especially fluoride from drinking water. 

Read More: Few things to consider before buying a water filter

Is it necessary to remove fluoride from water?

However valid any health concerns are, the amount of fluoride needed to cause any severe health problems is almost impossible to ingest. Even with natural fluoride present in an area that can make its way into drinking water, the levels will fluctuate over time. 

The fact that there are options to remove or diminish the amount of fluoride in water, suggests that these concerns will not go away anytime soon. Since opinions will always be split, there isn’t a city-wide plumbing infrastructure that can separate those that want fluoride in their water from neighbors that don’t want it. 

Major health organizations support the need for including fluoride in the water supply. In the 70 years that this practice has been in use, its effective use has had few negative safety effects. The general public has profited greatly from the use of fluoride in tap water, and as it’s proven to work, there is a responsibility to use it.

To wrap up 

Any excessive exposure to harmful substances is not a good thing. Relying on water from the government might mean there is going to be added fluoride to it. If this is something not desirable, then water filtration systems are practical tools for eliminating unwanted amounts of fluoride. Modern water purifiers are highly equipped to deal with issues like this and much more. Hope this article answer “Does Water Purifiers Remove Fluoride” for you thanks

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