So Confused About Different Information Out There.

I've always been told that with brushing teeth and regular visits to the dentist is sufficient for fluoride.

Dental health in the US is in a declining state - primarily because of the volumes of bottled water we consume now vs. a generation ago.

Tap water is generally fluorinated to help maintain the needed fluorine levels (fluoride being a variation of the element fluorine).

As much as I believe that nature provides a lot of answers to our health woes, I personally choose not to pursue Holistic medical sources as I'm concerned about the extent of verifiable clinical information. My personal feelings, but here is what the American Academy of Pediatrics says about fluoride supplements:
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/f...

Good luck. Remember, the internet is full of great information and great misinformation. I personally choose only to get health information from credible sources such as MayoClinic, WebMD, physician organizations because it's gone through a process of verifying accuracy.

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I tend to agree with Dana. You kind of have to make a choice between the Holistic care and standard medical care. I choose standard care because it has certification that I trust and repeatable, verifiable clinical standards to live up to.

My FIL is into Holistic medicine, and I love him, but I can't listen to the government-pharmacitical-medical conspiracy theory and take Holisitc medicine seriously. I think if there were no element of the conspiracy involved, and not so many charliatins who need that smoke screen, it would be a lot more viable to consider the things that make sense about Holistic medical care, but until that is gone, I can only see using what my doctor recomends, which, in some cases include "natural" elements and supplements that have met the standards set by the traditional medical community.

I would ask your doctor and do what they say, and if you find that you don't trust them, maybe you should consider finding a doctor whose recomendations you can follow, what ever the doctors philosphy turns out to be should probably match your own.

M.

I would trust that you are intelligent enough to know that I was not suggesting that you blindly follow anyone, espcially if you find you have a physican who is incompetent, ignorant and engages in malpractice. I know I have switched medical doctors who I found less than brilliant before, and that is what I meant by find someone you can trust. I don't that that has anything to do with philosphy at all. There are bad apples everywhere...

I value BOTH traditional and holistic medicine for my family. Please don't feel like you have to follow your doctor's every word and only go with what the medical community says.

Do your research on both sides and make your decision based on what YOU feel comfortable with.

I value my doctor's opinion but they are not all knowing. My doctor prescribed a fatal dose of insulin for my son based on his own ignorance about type 1 diabetes. Thankfully, I had the sense and experience to know that I should NOT follow his advice. If I had done as Martha R. suggested, I would have a dead child.

We don't do flouride in our house and I have had 1 cavity in 31 years. My kids have ZERO dental problems.

Good luck in your decision!

Fluoride in vitamins is fine... I took them when I was a kid and gave them to my children until they got fluoride treatments at the dentist.
I don't use fluoridated water - ever. I don't buy bottled water with vitamins or fluoride in it either... that's just not my thing.
YMMV
LBC

Hm you dont say how old your children are...if they're old enough to brush their teeth, there's flouride in the toothpaste and that should be enough for them i think. my baby is under a year and not yet brushing his teeth with toothpaste and my ped said to not worry about it. just wipe his gums with cloth damp with tap water and thats enough flouride so thats really not a large quantity.

I am into natural health so I understand your concern. When we lived in a home with a well, we made sure our kids got fluoride, which was recommended by the pediatrician at that time. What clinched my decision was speaking with a dentist in town, which did not have fluoride in the water. After looking at my teeth and our kids' teeth, he knew instantly that we were not from the town because of how good our teeth were in comparison to his other patients. He said most of his patients' teeth were by far softer and overall much worse over time (most fell out, he said) because of the lack of fluoride. Giving your kids the fluoride now will definitely help them have better teeth for the rest of their lives. I think those benefits far outweigh the risks associated with fluoride.