[jjeaff]

Although this wouldn't apply to ancient humans, I have heard the hypothesis that many people in olden times didn't have as many problems with cavities because many people drank well water. And well water has naturally occurring fluoride.

[jasonwatkinspdx]

There's strong evidence. Fluoridation as public health policy modernly was partly driven by evidence from Colorado Springs, where naturally higher than typical fluoride levels caused better than average dental outcomes.

To respond to a sibling comment: the relative levels have been looked at, in detail, and existing policy reflects what we've learned from that. Scaremongering over it influences real negative health outcomes, particularly amongst those with the most limited access to comprehensive dental care. Flouridation ain't quite as big as say sanitation, or antibiotics, but it's still up there on the list of biggest public health wins ever. By all means investigate it critically, but perhaps in a way more sophisticated than "have they looked at it in more depth than me spending 10 seconds googling?" imo.

[philliphaydon]

Isn’t the natural occurring fluoride Calcium fluoride while what we put in tooth paste (and add to water) is sodium fluoride which in addition to helping with our teeth is technically poisonous in large doses which is why we spit out tooth paste and don’t give children fluoride tooth paste until they learn to spit?

[skrbjc]

You can have too much fluoride in your diet and from toothpaste that it causes white streaks on your teeth and potentially on your bones. It’s called fluorosis.

This typically happens with teeth when young children drink fluoridated water, and also drink formula, which has fluoride, mixed with municipal fluoridated water. Or if the well water of an area has too much fluoride.

[asdff]

You won't die or anything but you might get a stomach ache.

[qiskit]

Couldn't we test this hypothesis by checking the teeth of people living non-modern lifestyles?

Do tribal people around the world living traditionally have cavities or not? What is the quality of their teeth?

[csomar]

They seem to have good teeth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAGjuRwx_Y8

They wear jeans, though. So they might be accessing nearby cities and the Youtuber avoided to mention that for clicks.

[olah_1]

According to this, naturally occuring fluoride in well water is around 0.05ppm and tap water that has been treated can have 0.7 or more. Quite a big difference. Probably enough to be worth looking into.

https://fluoridealert.org/content/fresh_foods/

[hirvi74]

I grew up in the US on unfiltered well-water. Not sure what the fluoride content was because the water was never tested. However, I always had dental problems as a child.

However, when I left my childhood home to attend university (and moved into the city afterwards), I haven't had a problem since. Then again, this is just one anecdote.

[jjeaff]

My mother grew up on well water and has never had a cavity in her life. My dad grew up mostly on city water before fluoridation. He has had terrible problems with his teeth.

[stjohnswarts]

It's not true that all well water has significant amounts of fluoride.