The infusion of fluoride into our water supply has recently become a highly politicized and hotly debated topic. A recent controversial systematic review & meta-analysis published by the NIH (Taylor Et al.) found a statistically significant correlation between higher fluoride exposure and lower children’s IQ scores. While this paper has come under heavy scrutiny and some flaws have been pointed out, it does serve as an interesting starting point for future research on this increasingly relevant topic.
While fluoride has been used for decades and is proven to prevent decay and strengthen tooth enamel, there are a variety of health conditions that may be caused by fluoride exposure, including but not limited to dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, thyroid dysfunction, reduced neurological function, kidney damage, osteosarcoma, gastrointestinal issues, and reproductive impairment.
My systematic literature review will analyze the trade-offs between positive and negative health effects fluoride can cause when used for the general population’s drinking water. I will also aim at researching the developmental effects of fluoride exposure in children. Finally, while an exceedingly high exposure to fluoride is obviously and undisputedly detrimental to ones health, I will examine whether current fluoride levels are capable of causing significant harm at all.