Over the years we have read about various ‘horror stories’ where people suffered from acute allergic reactions to fluoride. Back in 1998 a member of our staff worked with a woman whose daughter received a fluoridation treatment at her dentist’s office accidentally (her chart cleary noted an allergic to fluoride) and the girl required immediate medical attention.

While few and far between, one study indicates that approximately 1% of the population suffers from allergic reactions to fluoride, the dangers do still exist. Should most of the world fear the fluoride content of their water? Probably not.

Given the likelihood of most people having an adverse to the addition of fluoride to their drinking water, if you still want to know if your tap water contains fluoride, get your water professionally tested. Then make a decision on water treatment options to remove fluoride — if necessary.

Note: I said ‘professionally tested’ because to my knowledge, no reliable at-home test kit for fluoride exists. Most kits rely upon the use of more advanced chemical techniques and/or require a meter to read the results.