Even the dimensions of our teeth are based on Phi:

• The two front teeth form a Golden Rectangle
• The ratio of width of the central to the width of the lateral is also Phi
• The ratio of the width of the smile to the width between the canine teeth is also close to Phi and favours a broad smile ie wide intercanine width

FACTS AND FIGURES

• 100% of decay is caused by acid producing bacteria Read more
• 100% increase in risk of heart attack if you have gum disease Read More
• 0% of the population like to kiss someone with bad breath Read More
• 33% of all cancer deaths are related to smoking
• 10 years the number of years SAS Dental guarantee our implants for
• 50% the reduction in decay in school-aged children seen in the last 20 years due to fluoridation
• 94% the percentage of people with recurring headaches who actually have migraines
• 50kg the amount of sugar the average westerner consumes per year
• 10 tips for better sleep
• No.1 how high men and women judge each other on their smile
• 93% of people with gum disease are at risk of diabetes
• 80% of adults have gum disease
• 500% increase in risk of premature death if you have diabetes and bleeding gums
• 62% increase in risk for pancreatic and kidney cancer with gum disease
• 3 X’s people with gum disease are 3 times as likely to die from stroke
• 90% of bad breath comes from the mouth
• 45o the best angle to hold your toothbrush at the gum line
• 1,100% women with gume disease are 11x more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer
• 12% the number of American adults who floss daily
• 28-53% the amount of plaque removed on average with each brushing
• 45% percentage of adults unhappy with the appearance of their teeth
• 300% people who floss infrequently are 3 times more likely to get stomach cancer says NY University
• 10 spoons of sugar in every can of Coke
• 2 litres the average amount of spit our salivary glands make a day
• 370 mill. years ago hiccups originated when our ancestors lived in oceans and breathed with gills
• 40% of all bottled water is made from tap water
• 25,000 the number of teeth a snail can have
• 32 the number of teeth an adult has
• 20 the number of teeth a child has

 

FEES

Why is dental treatment expensive?

When you consider:

• the minimum seven years of University training
• the skill and dedication required
• set up and ongoing costs and
• the technology used

dentistry is not expensive

A dental fee reflects the cost of a highly trained and skilled professional treating your teeth in a hygienic, comfortable environment.

As well, fees represent the costs of the up-to-date equipment and materials, staff, laboratory fees, infection control measures, premises, utilities and furnishings

At SAS Dental we can supply you with:

• A list of typical fees charges for common procedures
• A written treatment plan with an itemised estimate or quote for any major dental work required

Please let reception know before your appointment

At Sydney Aesthetic Smiles we have Payment Plans and finance available

We accept all major credit cards and have Eftpos. If you are in a Fund can process your account on the spot through Hicaps
Health Fund generally rebate between 50% and 75% of the fee. You must pay the balance

All fees charged must be settled on the day unless a prior arrangement has been made with reception

Remember that the treatment of Oral Disease is extremely important with lifestyle and Systemic Health issues at stake

We cannot stress enough the importance of seeing your dentist for Oral Health Assessment (see Comprehensive Examination) and treatment

The cost for basic Oral Health is minimal when compared to the possible local and systemic cost of ignoring oral disease

Being professionals many dentists will consider financial difficulties when treating basic Oral Pathologies

It has been calculated that a dentist who follows correct Sterilization procedures, uses quality equipment and materials and has well trained staff has expenses of at least $5 per minute with some practices being much higherwww.dentistryiq.com/index/.../dental...9/.../the-real-cost-of-dentistry.html

Flexible Dentures

We at SAS Dental consider Valplast flexible dentures to be the better option when deciding on denture strength and aesthetics.

There is no also the biological security knowing there are no acrylic monomers nor metals in the dentures meaning no chance of allergies or sensitivities.

There are also fewer steps in the treatment process because preparation of natural teeth is unnecessary.

FLOSSING

Dental Floss removes plaque and food stuck between teeth and is an important part of oral hygiene

Putrefying food particles and bacteria in plaque result in gum inflamation and acid attack on enamel and dentine

Flossing is recommended at least once per day, preferably before bedtime

Usually one foot of floss is used

The floss is then held at the ends between the middle finger and thumb and wrapped around the middle finger.

It is then held tightly to make taut, and then gently moved up and down between each tooth.

It is important to curve the floss around each tooth

There are many varieties of floss on the market but the one SAS Dental recommends is:

• J & J Reach “Clean Paste”

Interdental Brushes are very good alternatives to floss

FLOURIDATION

There are no other cost-effective preventive schemes that benefit the total community like water fluoridation. Health conscious parents and individuals outside fluoridated areas can use personal fluoride supplements such as tablets and drops. But they do not work as well as fluoride in drinking water, are more expensive, require continuous motivation and compliance, and only reach a small part of the population. There is also the danger of accidental overdose with any tablets or drops.

How much fluoride is in fluoride toothpaste?

Children's toothpaste contains between 400 and 500ppm (parts per million). One part per million is the equivalent of one milligram per litre. Adult's toothpaste contains between 1000 and 1100ppm. Toothpaste should not be used on children under the age of two years. Over two years of age only a 'pea-sized' smear of toothpaste should be used, as young children have not developed an adequate spit-out mechanism.

What is fluorosis?

Dental fluorosis is seen as small white flecks in the surface enamel of teeth. In minor cases it is usually not visible to patients but in more advanced cases it appears as large white patches or occasional pits in the tooth surface. After some years, stains may penetrate the white patches and they can appear brown.

Generally speaking filters that remove fluoride are:
Ion Exchange Filters
Reverse Osmosis Filters and
Distillers

Filters That Don't:
Carbon Filters
Ceramic Filters

Are there alternative to water fluoridation?

There are no other cost-effective preventive schemes that benefit the total community like water fluoridation. Health conscious parents and individuals outside fluoridated areas can use personal fluoride supplements such as tablets and drops. But they do not work as well as fluoride in drinking water, are more expensive, require continuous motivation and compliance, and only reach a small part of the population. There is also the danger of accidental overdose with any tablets or drops.

How much fluoride is in fluoride toothpaste?

Children's toothpaste contains between 400 and 500ppm (parts per million). One part per million is the equivalent of one milligram per litre. Adult's toothpaste contains between 1000 and 1100ppm. Toothpaste should not be used on children under the age of two years. Over two years of age only a 'pea-sized' smear of toothpaste should be used, as young children have not developed an adequate spit-out mechanism.

What is fluorosis?

Dental fluorosis is seen as small white flecks in the surface enamel of teeth. In minor cases it is usually not visible to patients but in more advanced cases it appears as large white patches or occasional pits in the tooth surface. After some years, stains may penetrate the white patches and they can appear brown.

Receiving excess doses of fluoride during the formation of teeth causes fluorosis. This can occur by eating or swallowing excessive amounts of toothpaste or exceeding the dose when taking fluoride tablets. It can also occur where there is excess fluoride in natural water supplies or a combination of all three. In extreme or severe cases of fluorosis the teeth are unsightly and may need treatment to improve their appearance.

Water fluoridation alone does not cause fluorosis but it can happen in combination with other sources of fluoride.

See http://www.ada.org.au/OralHealth/flnfront.aspx for more detailed information on fluoride and water fluoridation.

What is water fluoridation?

All water supplies have some natural fluoride in them and the water fluoridation process just involves adding or removing fluoride to the level that protects dental health (one part per million).
It does not involve adding anything to the water that is not already there. There is no chemical difference between fluorides present naturally and that which is added to the water supply.

What are the benefits of water fluoridation?

Water fluoridation was established in Sydney in 1969.

Drinking fluoridated water increases the resistance of teeth to decay, resulting in fewer cavities. This means fewer fillings, fewer extractions, fewer visits to the dentist and lower dental bills - resulting in better smiles, fewer dentures and less pain and suffering.
Fluoridation has been calculated to reduce the number of school or working hours or days that are lost due to dental problems or visits to the dentist.

Fluoridation will also help in the prevention of aesthetic problems associated with decay, especially in the front teeth, problems with discomfort and problems with self-esteem. Fluoridation also indirectly reduces orthodontic problems.

This benefit applies to all teeth (baby and adult) and to all age groups in our community. All teeth, at all ages, benefit as the fluoridated water has a continuous topical action.

Despite the availability of other sources of fluoride (tablets, drops, toothpaste, professional applications), water fluoridation is still shown to be the most appropriate means of reducing tooth decay in the twenty first century. The magnitude of the fluoridation benefits has decreased in recent decades, but they are still in the range of a 20-40% reduction in tooth decay in fluoridated areas.

There is ample evidence that if water fluoridation ceases, the rate of tooth decay increases despite the use of fluoride toothpaste and supplements. The decay rate decreases again when fluoridation is re-introduced.

A community that fluoridates its water today will have teeth with approximately half as many cavities in 10 years’ time.

If I live in a non-fluoridated water area, what amount of fluoride supplement should I take?

Fluoride tablets or drops should be used according to the following guidelines proposed by the Dental Health Committee Discretionary Fluoride Panel of the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Daily fluoride supplements are to be used ONLY in cases where the natural fluoride content of your drinking water supply is less than 0.3 mg per litre.

If you are not sure whether you water supply is fluoridated, check with a local dentist or your local water supply authority.

Daily Fluoride Dosage (in milligrams) by Age Group

If a day is missed, DO NOT double up the next day. Keep fluoride supplements out of the reach of children.

Individual fluoride tablets should contain no more than 0.5 mg.

2.2 mg of sodium fluoride provides 1.0 mg of fluoride.

When you buy your tablets from the chemist, make sure he or she explains the dosage.

Remember that fluoride in toothpaste should be also taken into account. Children should use only a small amount of child-strength fluoride toothpaste when under fluoride supplements.

Who benefits from water fluoridation?

People of all ages benefit from water fluoridation.

Children benefit from the tooth decay preventive effects of water fluoridation with less tooth decay in their first and second set of teeth. Existing fillings in teeth last longer where water is fluoridated as there is less decay starting again where the filling meets the tooth surface.

The elderly and those with disabilities that prevent adequate cleaning of their teeth (including those in nursing homes), or those who require assistance with tooth brushing, will benefit from water fluoridation. This group is particularly susceptible to decay around the gum line of their teeth and water fluoridation would lower this risk factor.

Water fluoridation reduces decay and lessens the need for dental intervention. Dental treatment creates additional problems for some (e.g. diabetics, haemophiliacs, transplant patients, the immune compromised) for whom a healthy mouth is essential.

Water fluoridation is particularly beneficial in providing a preventive health measure to lower socio-economic groups who may have difficulty in implementing their own preventive care. Public health education has been shown to be effective only in the higher socio-economic groups.

An enormous amount of research has been published on the safety of water fluoridation, including any effects on the older members of the community who may have very few teeth or none at all. This extensive research has revealed no adverse health effects on the elderly or any other age group.

Are there any general side effects?

No. Drinking optimally fluoridated water is not harmful to human health.

Many cities throughout the world have large amounts of natural fluoride in their water supply without water fluoridation. Artificial water fluoridation was introduced over 50 years ago, providing many opportunities to study fluoridation's side effects. The only effects of water fluoridation that have been scientifically proven are those that benefit teeth.

Numerous studies have shown that consumption of fluoride in community water supplies at the level recommended for optimal dental health has no harmful effect in humans. For generations, millions of people have lived in areas where fluoride is found naturally in the drinking water in concentrations as high as or higher than those recommended to prevent tooth decay. Research conducted among these groups confirms the safety of fluoride in the water supply.

Fluoride's safety has been monitored for the past fifty years through over 30,000 studies, and no evidence has ever been found that water fluoridation causes any health side effects.

Has the issue been fully investigated in Australia?

Five major inquiries have addressed the issue of water fluoridation in Australia. Most were prompted by claims that new evidence showed water fluoridation to be either harmful or ineffective. Each investigation took many months to examine all available information.

All the inquiries found the allegations to be unproven and fluoridation to be safe, effective and economical.

These reports are:

• Report of the Royal Commissioner into the Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies (Hobart, 1968),
• Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Fluoridation of Victorian Water Supplies for 1979-80 (Melbourne, 1980),
• Inquiry into Water Fluoridation in the ACT by the Standing Committee on Social Policy (1991),
• The National Oral Health Survey 1987-1988 (which provided a database for Australian oral health), and
• Report by the National Health Medical and Research Council on the Effectiveness of Water Fluoridation (1991). See NHMRC document ‘TheEffectiveness of Water Fluoridation’.

water fluoridation has been praised as one of the top medical achievements of the 20th century,[6] Division of Oral Health, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC. Achievements in public health, 1900–1999: Fluoridation of drinking water to prevent dental caries. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1999;48(41):933–40

All water supplies have some natural fluoride in them and the water fluoridation process involves adding or removing fluoride to the level that protects dental health (one part per million).
It does not involve adding anything to the water that is not already there.
There is no chemical difference between fluorides present naturally and that which is added to the water supply.

The argument for fluoride

Fluoride-containing compounds are used in topical and systemic fluoride therapy for preventing. They are used for water fluoridation and in many products associated with oral hygiene.[9] Originally, sodium fluoride was used to fluoridate water; however, hexafluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6) and its salt sodium hexafluorosilicate (Na2SiF6) are more commonly used additives, especially in the United States. The fluoridation of water is known to prevent tooth decay [10] [11] and is considered by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as "one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century". [12] [13] In some countries where large, centralized water systems are uncommon, fluoride is delivered to the populace by fluoridating table salt. Fluoridation of water is not without critics, however (see Water fluoridation controversy).[14]

Drinking fluoridated water increases the resistance of teeth to decay, resulting in fewer:

• cavities,
• fillings,
• extractions,
• dentures
• and better smiles with lower dental bills and less pain and suffering.

Fluoride is the ion that comes from the naturally occurring element, fluorine.

Fluorine is never encountered in its free state in nature because it combines with other elements as fluoride compounds in the earth.
Water dissolves these compounds, creating fluoride ions that are present in all water sources, including the oceans.

Fluoride is a potent protector of teeth and reduces the number of cavities an individual will develop in their life by about half.

It does this by making enamel more resistant to the acid attacks of plaque bacteria.

Resistance occurs:
initially when the fluoride is incorporated into the teeth during their formation and
secondly, as fluoridated water, fluoridated toothpaste and rinses wash over the surface of the erupted teeth.

All water supplies have some natural fluoride in them and the water fluoridation process just involves adding or removing fluoride to the level that protects dental health (one part per million).
It does not involve adding anything to the water that is not already there. There is no chemical difference between fluorides present naturally and that which is added to the water supply.

Natural occurrence

Many fluoride minerals are known, but of paramount commercial importance are fluorite and fluorapatite. Fluoride is found naturally in low concentration in drinking water and foods. Water with underground sources is more likely to have higher levels of fluoride, whereas the concentration in seawater averages 1.3parts per million (ppm).[4] Fresh water supplies generally contain between 0.01–0.3 ppm, whereas the ocean contains between 1.2 and 1.5 ppm.

Applications

Fluoridation has been calculated to reduce the number of school or working hours or days that are lost due to dental problems or visits to the dentist.

Fluoridation will also help in the prevention of aesthetic problems associated with decay, especially in the front teeth, problems with discomfort and problems with self-esteem.
Fluoridation also indirectly reduces orthodontic problems.

This benefit applies to all teeth (baby and adult) and to all age groups in our community. All teeth, at all ages, benefit as the fluoridated water has a continuous topical action.

Despite the availability of other sources of fluoride (tablets, drops, toothpaste, professional applications), water fluoridation is still shown to be the most appropriate means of reducing tooth decay in the twenty first century. The magnitude of the fluoridation benefits has decreased in recent decades, but they are still in the range of a 20-40% reduction in tooth decay in fluoridated areas.

There is ample evidence that if water fluoridation ceases, the rate of tooth decay increases despite the use of fluoride toothpaste and supplements. The decay rate decreases again when fluoridation is re-introduced.

A community that fluoridates its water today will have teeth with approximately half as many cavities in 10 years’ time.

Water fluoridation was established in Sydney in 1969.

Brisbane is the only capital city in Australia without it. Canberra and Hobart introduced fluoride in 1964, Perth in 1968, Adelaide in 1971 and Melbourne in 1977.
Fluoridation is not mass medication any more than other disease prevention health measures. It is not a 'foreign chemical' in a water supply, but a naturally occurring element that reduces dental disease. Along with pasteurisation, water purification, and immunization, fluoridation is considered one of the four most important and successful public health measures of the twentieth century.

The following websites provides extensive information on fluoridation:

www.ada.org.au/oralHealth/fluoridation.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation

Water fluoridation is supported by the World Health Organisation (World Health Assembly, 1978), the Australian Dental Association, the Australian Medical Association and the National Health Medical and Research Council.

75% of Australia is currently fluoridated. In 1995, enabling legislation was passed in California for water fluoridation, so virtually all major cities in the United States of America are fluoridated.

CONCLUSION:

Water fluoridation is a safe, equitable, cost-effective public health initiative that responsible state and local governments should implement to reduce dental pain and disease throughout Australia.

Generally speaking filters that remove fluoride are:

• Ion exchange filters
• Reverse osmosis filters and
• Distillers

Filters that don’t are:

• Carbon filters
• Ceramic filters

People of all ages benefit from water fluoridation.

Children benefit from the tooth decay preventive effects of water fluoridation with less tooth decay in their first and second set of teeth. Existing fillings in teeth last longer where water is fluoridated as there is less decay starting again where the filling meets the tooth surface.

The elderly and those with disabilities that prevent adequate cleaning of their teeth (including those in nursing homes), or those who require assistance with tooth brushing, will benefit from water fluoridation. This group is particularly susceptible to decay around the gum line of their teeth and water fluoridation would lower this risk factor.

Water fluoridation reduces decay and lessens the need for dental intervention. Dental treatment creates additional problems for some (e.g. diabetics, haemophiliacs, transplant patients, the immune compromised) for whom a healthy mouth is essential.

Water fluoridation is particularly beneficial in providing a preventive health measure to lower socio-economic groups who may have difficulty in implementing their own preventive care. Public health education has been shown to be effective only in the higher socio-economic groups.

An enormous amount of research has been published on the safety of water fluoridation, including any effects on the older members of the community who may have very few teeth or none at all. This extensive research has revealed no adverse health effects on the elderly or any other age group.

Water fluoridation is the most cost-effective and socially equitable method of tooth decay prevention for all members of a community.
Cost varies with the size of the population fluoridated, but averages about $1 per person per year according to American figures (Garcia, 1989). Therefore it is likely to cost less to provide a lifetime of fluoridation to an individual than it costs for a single dental filling.

There has never been a case of an allergy to fluoride. If a person was allergic to fluoride they could not drink present water supplies because all water contains some fluoride. Similarly, because of its natural abundance in nature, fluoride is contained in virtually all food and drinks. People allergic to fluoride would also be allergic to tea, coffee, mineral water, beer and seawater.

There are no other cost-effective preventive schemes that benefit the total community like water fluoridation. Health conscious parents and individuals outside fluoridated areas can use personal fluoride supplements such as tablets and drops. But they do not work as well as fluoride in drinking water, are more expensive, require continuous motivation and compliance, and only reach a small part of the population. There is also the danger of accidental overdose with any tablets or drops.

Children's toothpaste contains between 400 and 500ppm (parts per million). One part per million is the equivalent of one milligram per litre. Adult's toothpaste contains between 1000 and 1100ppm. Toothpaste should not be used on children under the age of two years. Over two years of age only a 'pea-sized' smear of toothpaste should be used, as young children have not developed an adequate spit-out mechanism.

Regardless of the presence or absence of water fluoridation, or the taking of fluoride supplements, everyone should be encouraged to brush their natural teeth with fluoride toothpaste.

Fluoride toothpaste tubes should carry advice that for children under the age of six years, brushing should be supervised, and only a "pea" sized smear of toothpaste should be placed on the brush. Thorough rinsing is recommended and children should be instructed not to swallow the toothpaste.

Fluoride tablets or drops should be used according to the following guidelines proposed by the Dental Health Committee Discretionary Fluoride Panel of the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Daily fluoride supplements are to be used ONLY in cases where the natural fluoride content of your drinking water supply is less than 0.3 mg per litre.

If you are not sure whether you water supply is fluoridated, check with a local dentist or your local water supply authority.

Daily Fluoride Dosage (in milligrams) by Age Group

Fluoride in Water: mg/litre 6 months	4 years-	4-8 years -	8+ years -
Less than 0.3 mg/litre:	0.25mg	0.5mg	1.0mg
0.3 - 0.5 mg/litre	0	0.25mg	0.5 mg
More than 0.5 mg/litre	0	0	0

If a day is missed, DO NOT double up the next day. Keep fluoride supplements out of the reach of children.

Individual fluoride tablets should contain no more than 0.5 mg.

2.2 mg of sodium fluoride provides 1.0 mg of fluoride.

When you buy your tablets from the chemist, make sure he or she explains the dosage.

Remember that fluoride in toothpaste should be also taken into account. Children should use only a small amount of child-strength fluoride toothpaste when under fluoride supplements.

Are there any general side effects?

No. Drinking optimally fluoridated water is not harmful to human health.

Many cities throughout the world have large amounts of natural fluoride in their water supply without water fluoridation. Artificial water fluoridation was introduced over 50 years ago, providing many opportunities to study fluoridation's side effects. The only effects of water fluoridation that have been scientifically proven are those that benefit teeth.

Numerous studies have shown that consumption of fluoride in community water supplies at the level recommended for optimal dental health has no harmful effect in humans. For generations, millions of people have lived in areas where fluoride is found naturally in the drinking water in concentrations as high as or higher than those recommended to prevent tooth decay. Research conducted among these groups confirms the safety of fluoride in the water supply.

Fluoride's safety has been monitored for the past fifty years through over 30,000 studies, and no evidence has ever been found that water fluoridation causes any health side effects.

Five major inquiries have addressed the issue of water fluoridation in Australia. Most were prompted by claims that new evidence showed water fluoridation to be either harmful or ineffective. Each investigation took many months to examine all available information.

All the inquiries found the allegations to be unproven and fluoridation to be safe, effective and economical.

 

These reports are:

• Report of the Royal Commissioner into the Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies (Hobart, 1968),
• Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Fluoridation of Victorian Water Supplies for 1979-80 (Melbourne, 1980),
• Inquiry into Water Fluoridation in the ACT by the Standing Committee on Social Policy (1991),
• The National Oral Health Survey 1987-1988 (which provided a database for Australian oral health), and
• Report by the National Health Medical and Research Council on the Effectiveness of Water Fluoridation (1991). See NHMRC document ‘The Effectiveness of Water Fluoridation’.

See http://www.ada.org.au/OralHealth/flnfront.aspx for more detailed information on fluoride and water fluoridation.

Noel Martin, A Father of The Flouride Generation

The argument against

Fluorosis

See http://www.ada.org.au/OralHealth/flnfront.aspx for more detailed information on fluoride and water fluoridation.

Toxicology

Main article: Fluoride poisoning

Reaction of the irreversible inhibitor diisopropyl fluorophosphate with a serine protease

Fluoride-containing compounds are so diverse that it is not possible to generalize on their toxicity, which depends on their reactivity and structure, and in the case of salts, their solubility and ability to release fluoride ions.

Soluble fluoride salts, of which NaF is the most common, are mildly toxic but have resulted in both accidental and suicidal deaths from acute poisoning.[6] While the minimum fatal dose in humans is not known, a case of a fatal poisoning of an adult with 4 grams of NaF is documented. Sodium fluorosilicate (Na2SiF6), the median lethal dose (LD50) orally in rats is 0.125 g/kg, corresponding to 12.5 g for a 100 kg adult.[22] The fatal period ranges from 5 min to 12 hours. [21] The mechanism of toxicity involves the combination of the fluoride anion with the calcium ions in the blood to form insoluble calcium fluoride, resulting in hypocalcemia; calcium is indispensable for the function of the nervous system, and the condition can be fatal. Treatment may involve oral administration of dilute calcium hydroxide or calcium chloride to prevent further absorption, and injection of calcium gluconate to increase the calcium levels in the blood. [21] Hydrogen fluoride is more dangerous than salts such as NaF because it is corrosive and volatile, and can result in fatal exposure through inhalation or upon contact with the skin; calcium gluconate gel is the usual antidote.[23]

Fractures

In the higher doses used to treat osteoporosis, sodium fluoride can cause pain in the legs and incomplete stress fractures when the doses are too high; it also irritates the stomach, sometimes so severely as to cause ulcers. Slow-release and enteric-coated versions of sodium fluoride do not have gastric side effects in any significant way, and have milder and less frequent complications in the bones.[24] In the lower doses used for water fluoridation, the only clear adverse effect is dental fluorosis, which can alter the appearance of children's teeth during tooth development; this is mostly mild and is unlikely to represent any real effect on aesthetic appearance or on public health.[25]