10/15/2026
"Fluoridation advocates often answer concerns by saying, 'The dose makes the poison.' Dose does matter. But that principle requires us to examine the dose actually received. The frequently repeated figure of 0.7 milligrams per liter is a water concentration, not an individualized dose. At that concentration, drinking one liter supplies 0.7 milligrams of fluoride from the water; drinking three liters supplies 2.1 milligrams. The water is identical, but the amount swallowed is three times greater.
"The calculation must also account for body weight, fluoride from other sources, and exposure over time. The amount swallowed is not necessarily the amount retained, because absorption and elimination matter too. These differences do not establish that every person drinking fluoridated water is injured. They establish why citing a concentration cannot answer every question about a person’s exposure. I do not regard “the dose makes the poison” as a justification for adding fluoride to everyone’s drinking water." -- Barbara Tritz, RDH
It's a read on the longish side, but definitely worth your time, we think -- and your sharing with others!
Explore why fluoride concentration is not an individual dose and why total intake, kidney function, pregnancy, and infancy deserve closer attention.
