{"id":1082,"date":"2025-12-22T20:22:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T20:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/?p=1082"},"modified":"2026-06-17T20:26:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T20:26:32","slug":"fluoride-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/22\/fluoride-history\/","title":{"rendered":"How Fluoride Entered the Water &amp; Your Toothpaste"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AdobeStock_300369603__1781727934_89419.jpg\" alt=\"dentist applying fluoride to the patient\u2019s smile\" class=\"wp-image-1083\" style=\"width:321px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AdobeStock_300369603__1781727934_89419.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AdobeStock_300369603__1781727934_89419-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AdobeStock_300369603__1781727934_89419-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Fluoride remains a topic of contention for many healthcare professionals. While some believe it is too dangerous, others applaud its ability to minimize cavities and decay. But how did this debate start? What led to its incorporation into the water supply and toothpaste brands? Read on to learn about the history of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">fluoride<\/a> and how it became a popular preventive solution for many dentists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Discovery of Fluoride<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Considered one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20<sup>th<\/sup> century, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fluoride is regularly used by dental professionals to curb cavities and tooth decay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, its use got an interesting start. In 1901, a dentist named Frederick McKay opened a practice in Colorado Springs, CO, where he discovered many residents had dark-colored teeth. Appearing as if they were covered in chocolate, he was eager to find out the cause of such stains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By 1909, dental researcher Dr. G.V. Black joined McKay, and for six years, they studied the discoloration, discovering that 90% of children suffered from the problem. Calling it \u201ctooth mottling,\u201d today\u2019s experts refer to it as dental fluorosis. Realizing these teeth were resistant to tooth decay, they determined the stains could minimize the potential for cavities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1923, the cause of tooth mottling was still unidentified; however, after traveling to Idaho, McKay learned these same stains formed after the construction of a communal pipeline. He asked city leaders to use a nearby spring as its water source, leading to a decline in tooth stains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It wasn\u2019t until a trip to Arkansas led McKay and others to discover that tooth mottling was caused by increased levels of fluoride in the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the NIH Got Involved<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The National Institute of Health learned of the findings and conducted its own investigation of the fluoridated water. After crafting a way to measure the fluoride in the water, experts decided in the 1930s that levels up to 1.0 parts per million (ppm) were safe and would not cause fluorosis of the tooth enamel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Use of Fluoride Today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The inclusion of fluoride in tap water and toothpaste is widely supported by many states because of its proven ability to reduce cavities and improve long-term oral health. Many dentists provide supplemental treatment in-house, including varnish and prescription fluoride toothpaste; its use in other ways (e.g., community water) is believed to improve the health and longevity of patients\u2019 teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the Author<\/strong><br>As a trusted dentist in the area, Dr. Joanne Bancroft has been practicing for more than two decades. She earned her dental degree from the State University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in 2002, and she completed a General Practice Residency at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. Offering fluoride treatment as a preventive solution to help curb dental decay and cavities, she is here to answer your questions, so <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/contact.html\">contact us<\/a> at <strong>(720) 458-6561<\/strong> to get the help you need!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fluoride remains a topic of contention for many healthcare professionals. While some believe it is too dangerous, others applaud its ability to minimize cavities and decay. But how did this debate start? What led to its incorporation into the water supply and toothpaste brands? Read on to learn about the history of fluoride and how [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fluoride | History | J.B. 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