However, the issue has arisen a few times over the past couple of years. First, my best friend read a book (I'll have to get the name of it and post it here) which turned her completely off of fluoride. She even makes a point of having unfluoridated toothpaste, specifically Tom's of Maine makes an unfluoridated one for both adults and children. Then secondly the discussion came up with my second daughter with the pediatrician, who simply checked her chart for water fluoridation and didn't say much else about it. So I realized it was up to me to look into the issue further.
What my research is telling me is that I don't care for having fluoride be ingested by myself or my children. I'd rather they remove it from our water. The CDC's recommendations are based on three references, each 10 years old. I've seen lots of research, dating throughout the 90's, linking fluoride ingestion with possible neurotoxicity and cancer. More recently, though, I've liked what the Canadian experts have to say about fluoride supplementation. According to the Canadian Dental Association there is:
weak scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of fluoride supplements.and
The use of fluoride supplements before the eruption of the first permanent tooth is generally not recommended.
In the end, I don't feel too concerned about the fact that I use fluoride topically applied to my teeth (especially as I have very sensitive teeth and need the treatment in order to eat), however, I think I'll be buying bottled water now, and finding some of the Tom's of Maine toothpaste for my kids, as they still swallow their toothpaste.