Fluoride is a naturally occurring organic compound or mineral that is most widely known as an additive that is used to reduce tooth decay. About 100 years ago it was found that people who drank water that came from wells that were rich in fluoride had fewer cavities in their teeth, and over time it became accepted that fluoride treatments could help prevent tooth decay.<br><br>The practice of adding it to water supplies began to be done all over the USA when it was authorized by President and former World War II General Dwight David Eisenhower. He recognized the need for Americans to have stronger and healthier teeth, and helped to push the campaign of providing fluoride-enhanced water to the public.<br><br>Fluoride tends to strengthen the teeth of children by binding chemically to the teeth, making them harder. Adults have also been shown to gain tougher, harder tooth enamel when they take proper dosages of fluoride water on a regular basis ? so the overall impact of fluoride that dentists promote is that it makes the outer walls of the teeth less susceptible to decay.<br><br>What happens to make the fluoride bind to the teeth like a hard outer shell or chemical binder to make the enamel tougher than it would normally be is that the chemical molecules of fluoride are attached to the tooth enamel like a shield or barrier to fight infection. The chemicals like calcium that are in the teeth, in other words, are given more structural integrity when they combine with fluoride ? sort of the same way that adding a small amount of polymer plastic is sometimes used in concrete mix, to make concrete harden to a stronger level.<br><br>Usually only one part fluoride is added to a million parts of water, so the amount of fluoride we get in our drinking water is not a whole lot. But between using fluoride toothpaste and drinking water than has had fluoride added to it, scientists believe that we develop much more decay-resistant tooth enamel. If you do not get fluoride in your water supply ? perhaps because you drink bottled water that comes from a spring or is distilled to remove chemicals that might otherwise remain in it ? then your dentist may recommend dental fluoride treatments. In that case the dentist may give you tablets or a liquid form of fluoride you can add to your water.<br><br>The FDA started requiring warning labels on any toothpaste that contains fluoride back in the late 1990s ? and the warnings are primarily about not letting children under the age of six get their hands on the fluoride toothpaste because ingesting large concentrations of it can be harmful. But despite that risk the use of fluoride additives is endorsed by the American Dental Association, the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association, and it is routinely added to municipal water supplies so that simply by drinking water people will get more fluoride To find out if your tap water contains trace amounts of added fluoride to make your teeth stronger and help you maintain your dental hygiene, you can ask your dentist or the municipal water authority in your town or city.