Imagine walking down the street and seeing half of those who pass by missing all their teeth. Sixty years ago, that was the norm, when 50% of Americans 65 and older had lost all their teeth, many of them by age 30.
“Today, it would be weird to be walking around and see that many younger people missing some teeth, especially if you’re not counting the players at a hockey game,” said Bruce Dye, DDS, MPH, professor and chair of the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation in Oral Health Equity at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine.
The number of people 65 and older missing all their teeth today has dropped to about 10%. A piece of the story regarding this dental and public health success story has been fluoride – a mineral that protects teeth, but now emerges at the center of controversies and conspiracy theories.
“Fluoride has been very important in helping to reduce tooth decay,” Dye said. “From my perspective, as a dentist and epidemiologist, fluoride has made a huge contribution to helping people retain teeth. We know as we age, the more natural teeth that we hold onto the better quality of life and overall health we have.”
In the first part of a two-part series on fluoride, Dye explains the science behind how fluoride protects teeth and the balance needed to stave off something called “demineralization.” He also addresses what fluoride overexposure looks like, while commenting on the controversy surrounding fluoride.