Table of Contents
What kind of mineral is fluoride?
Fluoride, a mineral, is naturally present in many foods and available as a dietary supplement. Fluoride is the ionic form of the element fluorine, and it inhibits or reverses the initiation and progression of dental caries (tooth decay) and stimulates new bone formation [1].
Is fluorine an essential mineral?
Fluorine is not considered to be an essential nutrient, but the importance of fluorides for preventing tooth decay is well-recognized, although the effect is predominantly topical.
What’s fluoride made of?
element fluorine
Fluoride is created when salts from the element fluorine combine with minerals in soil or rocks. Due to its simple origins, fluoride is found naturally in soil, water and many foods. It also occurs naturally in the human body in bones and teeth.
Why is fluoride considered a mineral?
Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral which is found in all natural waters to some extent – both seawater and fresh water. It is the 13th most abundant element on the Earth’s crust; a chemical Ion of Fluorine. Fluorine is the gaseous form; Fluorite the crystal form. Both contain Fluoride.
Why Is fluoride a trace mineral?
Fluoride is considered a trace element because only small amounts are present in the body (about 2.6 grams in adults), and because the daily requirement for maintaining dental health is only a few milligrams a day. About 95% of the total body fluoride is found in bones and teeth (1).
What is fluoride in chemistry?
Fluoride is the name given to the negatively-charged ion of the fluorine atom (F). A fluoride may also be the name of a compound that contains the element. Fluoride is found in toothpaste and public water supplies in some countries.
Is fluoride on the periodic table?
The number 9 is up in the left corner because fluoride is the 9th element on the periodic table. Oh, that’s also how many protons are in the nucleus and how many electrons are in the cloud of a fluorine atom.
Is fluoride ionic?
Fluoride is the negative ion of the element fluorine. The symbol for the element fluorine is F. To summarize: fluorine is an element; fluoride is an ion or a compound which contains the fluoride ion. Fluorides are found in toothpaste and added to public drinking water in some countries.
Is fluoride an essential dietary mineral?
The Wikipedia entry on Dietary Minerals does say, however: “Fluorine (as Fluoride) is not generally considered an essential mineral element because humans do not require it for growth or to sustain life.
What are the hazards of fluoride?
Common health hazards of fluoride include reduced IQ, increased lead absorption, dementia, bone fractures, dental and skeletal fluorosis, immune system disruptions, and many other health problems It’s important to understand that the “fluoride” added to your drinking water is not the natural mineral,…
What are the pros and cons of fluoride?
Pros and Cons of Fluoride. Fluoride is also known to cause a cosmetically damaging effect called fluorosis , a staining of the teeth that experts say does not attribute to any physical problems. The National Institutes of Mental Health did suggest that fluoride damaged teeth may cause psychological and behavioral problems [Source: Coffel ].
Is fluoride a nutrient or a supplement?
Fluoride, however, is not a nutrient. A nutrient is something the body has a physiological demand for-they’re not optional; we need them. As the FDA has long recognized, fluoride is not necessary to human health or development. When used to prevent disease, therefore, the FDA considers fluoride to be a drug. The term “fluoride supplement” is also a misnomer because most dietary supplements can be purchased over the counter (i.e., without a prescription).