Fluorine is perhaps one of the most controversial elements on the periodic table. Its fluoride form is commonly added to drinking water as a way to prevent tooth decay, yet has become the source of numerous conspiracy theories, spread by people who question the government's true motives behind a public health initiative. In fact, such doubts were sown almost as soon as fluoridation programs began rolling out in the 1940's, with The John Birch Society peddling a crackpot theory that fluoride transforms people into communists.
There are some potentially negative health effects from ingesting too much fluoride — just as there are risks to drinking too much water or taking too much vitamin C. As the saying goes in toxicology: dosis sola facit venenum — the dose makes the poison. But without going off the deep end, how serious are these risks really? And are they outweighed by the close connection between dental health and the health of the rest of your body?
