A chemical element found in bones and teeth.
Fluorine is a micromineral most often considered in its fluoride form as an ingredient in toothpastes and as an additive in drinking water. Although drinking water provides the majority of fluoride in the diets of most individuals, it is also found in seafood, particularly when the bones are eaten. Smaller amounts are found in a variety of foods from each of the food groups. Fluoride is particularly important for the production of strong bones and teeth. No roles for fluorine supple mentation to enhance performance have been established.
A mineral vital to the body, though only in small amounts, for proper formation and maintenance of bone, especially in children. It is fluorine that is widely used in fluoridation programs, to help prevent tooth decay. Some have suggested that additional amounts of fluorine used in fluoridation also cause health problems, such as increased risk of cancer, but public health experts generally feel that the scientific data so far does not support that view. In large amounts (for example, if fluorine-containing pesticides are ingested), it can cause poisoning and even death.
Element that helps form bones and teeth.
One of the halogen series of elements. In the form of fluoride, it is a constituent of bone and teeth. Supplementing the daily intake of fluorine lessens the incidence of dental caries. In America and in Britain, evidence indicates that people who, throughout their lives, have drunk water with a natural fluorine content of 1 part per million have less dental caries than those whose drinking water is fluorine-free. All the available evidence indicates that this is the most satisfactory way of giving fluorine, and that if its concentration of fluorine does not exceed 1 part per million, there are no toxic effects. Several water companies in the UK have added fluoride to the public water supply, but opponents of this policy, who claim that fluoride has serious side-effects, have prevented fluoridation being introduced nationwide.
A gaseous chemical element, atomic weight 18.9984, atomic number 9. It is found in the soil in combination with calcium.