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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   2788 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for January 12, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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We talked about about this a few weeks ago. It seems that the amount of fluoride in the water is pretty low generally so it's probably not something to worry about.

That said, flouride in the water is not great. The benefits of fluoride are limited. Supposedly, places that fluoridate their water see a 25% reduction in cavities. You can probably get all the benefits by just brushing with fluoridated toothpaste.

For what it's worth, I (along with many of my friends) took daily 1 mg fluoride tablets (supplements) as a kid on the recommendation of our pediatrician, and I have mild dental fluorosis to show for it (although I've never had a cavity in my life). The idea that this may also have cost me a few IQ points is distressing.

Unfortunately, if you had fluorosis as a child, it's definitely possible you were subjected to a high enough concentration to lower IQ.

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