Fluoride is a natural mineral found throughout the world and is primarily used for dental health. Fluoride has been praised for being one of the greatest successes in dental health over the century. Now more than ever, fluoride is used in many household products, with or without the user's knowledge. In the 1940s, fluoride was added to water to reduce tooth decay. Before the 1940s no common household item contained fluoride. Over the past 60 years, the use of fluoride has increased dramatically. Today, fluoride is found in mouthwash, toothpaste, bottled water and tea, to name a few. Studies have shown that fluoride in large doses is not only harmful to human health, but also to the environment. Fluoride research began in Colorado Springs, Colorado, when a young dentist named Frederick Mckay opened a dental practice in 1901. He noticed that some community residents had severe browning of tooth enamel that was not recorded in any dental books. After a few years of research, he suspected that the cause of the browning was water. In 1923, Mckay met parents of children in Oakley, Idaho, who had the same peculiar browning of their teeth. These spots began to appear shortly after a water main was built to supply the city with fresh water from a spring. Mckay tested the water and found nothing suspicious, but still advised the city to shut off the water supply from the mains anyway. Within a few years, the browning on children's teeth began to disappear, leading Mckay to conclude that the problem was due to water. In 1931, after in-depth studies and with the help of research conducted by the chief chemist of The Aluminum Company or...... halfway through the article ......fluoridated water by children represents a serious danger to the well-being health of the child. Since fluoride has been shown to show no significant health benefits and, in fact, poses some very serious health risks, fluoride consumption should be avoided at all costs. The US government attempts to regulate how much fluoride is in each part per million, but the fact that cities continue to allow this toxic byproduct of the fertilizer industry to be dumped into water supplies is completely outrageous and disgusting. Until the public is informed about the possible dangers associated with fluoride consumption and the damage it can do to the environment, private industries will continue to sell this waste to cities to keep costs low and profits high; poisoning their friends and families in the process.