The practice of putting fluoride in the water has been a practice for about 50 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers fluoridation one of the 10 great health advancements of the 20th century, claiming that it's an indespensible element in the prevention of tooth decay. But in recent years, there has been much debate whether adding fluoride to our water is causing more harm than it helps.

In small concentrations, fluoride can hold some benefits for our teeth, helping to eliminate cavities and keeping our teeth strong. But in larger doses, fluoride can actually be toxic, causing weak bones, thyroid problems, bone cancer, and many more harmful health problems. There have been reports of malfunctioning fluoridation systems poisoning residents, but more alarming than malfunctioning systems, the National Academy or Sciences (NAS) believes that current allowable levels of fluoride in tap water is actually too high and suggest that to maintain proper public health, those levels should be at much lower levels. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) suggests that water should not be fluoridated and that fluoride exposure be limited to toothpaste.

The EWG has indicated that the demographic most vulnerable to the harmful effects of over fluoridation is infants. They speculate that up to one-third of bottle-fed infants age six months or less are getting too much fluoride on a daily basis, a situation which may cause dental fluorosis.

Besides the negative impacts of too much fluoride in our bodies, the environmental effects od fluoride have to be considered. There is unrecordable amounts of fluoride that goes down the drain, in the toilet flushes, and out our garden faucets. Fluoride in the environment can be very harmful. Fluoride has been shown to be toxic to our gardens, and wild vegetation as well, permeating their very cell walls and concentrating in leaves and causing cell death of the leaf.

Sealife is also harmed by fluoridated water and fluoride in their environment. Studies have found that small amounts of fluoride can cause salmon and rainbow trout to act lethargic, dazed and confused. The National Marine Fisheries Service discovered that fluoride caused salmon to become so impaired that they couldn't navigate toward spawning. 50% of the salmon swimming in the fluoridated waterway died before they made the trip. When fluoride emissions were reduced, the salmon death rate was reduced ten-fold.

If you are concerned about fluoride and how it effects our environment, then look to using filtered water or bottled water. You can also find filters that hook up directly to your water faucet and will filter the water as it's being used. This type of filtration is best as it will remove some of the harmful elements before they can go down your drain! Take the time to learn about what you can do to help save the environment and the harmful effects fluoride can have on the environment. Once you discover the facts, you may want to implement some changes, and start living a more green life.