Fluoride levels should be lowered, says Health Canada
A panel of experts working for Health Canada is recommending that the current levels of fluoride in water ingested by children and infants be lowered. The experts suggest that Health Canada adopt a level of 0.7 mg/L as the optimal target for drinking water. However, the panel did note that the current maximum level of 1.5 mg/L is "unlikely to cause adverse health effects." According to the panel, the new, lower level will balance the need for cavity protection with the risk of fluorosis, which can lead to pitting of the teeth from an overload of fluoride.
For babies, if you need to supplement or bottle feed with formula, make sure you make the formula with non-fluoridated water, according to the American Dental Association. With infants under the age of one, avoid those fluoridated nursery waters also. If you're not sure if your tap water has fluoride, call your water supplier. And be careful with in-fridge and pitcher filters; many are designed to leave the fluoride in the water.
To read more about dental fluorosis, see Fluoride Alert here.
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