The topic of water fluoridation is usually dismissed as common knowledge, and rightfully so. Decades of extensive research into the effects of the substance have produced overwhelmingly positive results. Because the scientific community is abundantly clear regarding the benefits of fluoride, the issue prompts little consideration from the general populace. Nevertheless, this was not always the case. Numerous times in recent decades, fluoride scares have risen to prominence. This may be due to the lack of knowledge regarding the nature of fluoride, for while most know of it; few understand the uses, history, and public health benefits fluoride provides. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral with the chemical formula F-. Fluoride is an anion of fluorine, and has a molar mass of 19.00 grams per mol-1. Fluoride acts as a base; when combined with hydrogen, the reaction forms the acid hydrogen fluoride. As a naturally occurring mineral, fluoride is released into natural sources of water by way of …show more content…
The Chemists concluded that this amount was obviously to much; however, they acknowledged that the fluoride had contributed to a reduction in tooth decay. The search for the appropriate and safe level began. Dr. H. Trendley Dean of the National Institute of Health began investigating the straining, called fluorosis, in 1931. During two years of research with the help of another chemist, Dr. Elias Elvove they determined the level of fluoride in water that was both safe and prevented tooth decay. “Fluoride levels of up to 1.0 ppm in drinking water did not cause enamel fluorosis in most people and only mild enamel fluorosis in a small percentage of people” (The Story of Fluoridation 12). The process of inserting this level of fluoride in the water became known as “fluoridation” and mass fluoridation began in the