Is Fluoride Toothpaste Harmful? 含氟牙膏有害吗？

Fluoride is a mainstay of dental care， whether it’s delivered in a treatment at your dentist’s office or in your toothpaste. But fluoride has become the focus of several conspiracy theories over the past few years， raising questions about its use. Some people allege that fluoride is harmful， while others say it’s a helpful tool in good dental health. Who is right？ Here’s what you need to know about fluoride， as well as all the misinformation swirling around it.

氟化物是牙齿护理的主要成分，无论是在牙医诊所的治疗中还是在牙膏中。但在过去几年中，氟化物已经成为几个阴谋论的焦点，引发了人们对其使用的质疑。一些人声称氟化物有害，而另一些人说它有益于牙齿健康。谁是对的？以下是你需要了解的关于氟化物的知识，以及有关它的所有错误信息。

What is fluoride？

Fluoride is an element that’s naturally found in rivers， lakes and oceans， as well as in some foods and drinks， according to the American Dental Association. “It is also added to public water supplies，” Dr Michael Kosdon， a dentist at Smiles of NYC， tells us. Fluoride is known as “nature’s cavity fighter”， according to the ADA， and it’s often added to dental products， including toothpaste， to protect people from cavities.

什么是氟化物？

根据美国牙科协会的说法，氟化物是一种天然存在于河流、湖泊和海洋以及一些食物和饮料中的元素。“它也被添加到公共供水中。”纽约微笑牙医迈克尔·科斯登博士告诉我们。根据美国牙科协会的说法，氟化物被称为“大自然的蛀牙斗士”，它经常被添加到包括牙膏在内的牙科产品中，以保护使用者不长蛀牙。

What does fluoride do？

Fluoride helps to strengthen your teeth， Rebecca Henderson， associate professor in The Ohio State University College of Dentistry in US， tells us. “Teeth， like bones in our body， are composed of minerals—primarily calcium and phosphate. When someone has cavities， bacteria feed on refined carbohydrates that you eat and produce an acid byproduct in your mouth，” Henderson says.

“This acid removes minerals from our teeth， breaking down layers of tooth structure and eventually leading to a hole in the tooth surface，” she explains. “Fluoride helps to strengthen the tooth surfaces by returning and preserving the lost minerals in our tooth， preventing a cavity from forming.” Research has found that adding fluoride to water reduces the amount of tooth decay in young kids by 35%.

氟化物有什么作用？

美国俄亥俄州立大学牙科学院副教授瑞贝卡·亨德森告诉我们，氟化物有助于增强牙齿。亨德森说：“牙齿就像我们身体中的骨骼一样，由矿物质组成——主要是钙和磷酸盐。当人有蛀牙时，细菌以你吃的精制碳水化合物为食，并在你的口腔里产生一种酸性副产品。”

她解释说：“这种酸会从我们的牙齿中去除矿物质，破坏牙齿结构层，最终导致牙齿表面出现洞。氟化物通过恢复和保存牙齿中丢失的矿物质来帮助强化牙齿表面，防止蛀牙的形成。” 研究发现，在水中加入氟化物可以减少35%的儿童蛀牙。

Can fluoride be harmful？

Fluoride is beneficial， say experts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States， it’s considered “one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century” thanks to its ability to prevent tooth decay. There are claims online that fluoride is poisonous， but experts say that’s a stretch. Excessive amounts of fluoride can be harmful， but it’s rare. The ADA notes that you would have to drink five liters of water for every kilogram of body weight at once to have fluoride toxicity.

氟化物有害吗？

专家说氟化物是有益的。根据美国疾病预防控制中心的说法，由于其防止蛀牙的能力，它被认为是“20世纪十大公共卫生成就之一”。网上有人声称氟化物有毒，专家说这是牵强附会。过量的氟化物可能有害，但这种情况很少见。美国牙科协会指出，你必须一次性喝5升水才能对你身体的1千克体重产生氟化物毒性。