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About This Quiz
The effects of fluoride are hotly debated. But what do you know about fluoride and the real facts behind the debate? Find out with this quiz.
What is fluoride?
A mineral
Fluoride is a mineral, composed of fluorine and a metal.
A toothpaste
An element on the periodic table
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Where was fluoride first added to community drinking water?
Australia
United States
Fluoride was first added to water supplies in Michigan, in 1965.
Russia
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What is one symptom of dental fluorosis?
Cavities
Stained or mottled teeth.
Dental fluorosis occurs with excessive amounts of fluoride. Stained or pitted teeth are signs of fluorosis.
Teeth grow in odd places on your body
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When should children begin using fluoride toothpaste?
Six months
Six years
Two years
Dentists generally recommend children use fluoride toothpaste after the age of 2 to lower early exposure to fluoride.
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What percentage of the United States population has optimally fluoridated water?
32 percent
72 percent
In 2008, the CDC said 72% of drinking water is optimally fluoridated in the United States.
98 percent
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Where is fluoride present?
Water
Delicious snacks
Water, delicious snacks, and pretty much anywhere else.
Fluoride naturally occurs in water, food, and even our air.
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How can fluoride be removed from water?
Just boil your water, like at camp!
A reverse-osmosis or distillation filter is required.
Removing fluoride from water can't be done with most home filters that are charcoal based, and boiling will not remove fluoride. Reverse osmosis or distillation is the most common method of removal.
A common at-home water filter will do the trick.
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What major medical group opposes fluoridiation?
American Dental Association
American Medical Association
No major medical group opposes fluoridation.
All major medical and dental organizations recommend fluoridating water at optimal levels.
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When ingested at high levels over a long period, what harm does fluoride present?
A dangerously beautiful smile.
Fluoride has not been shown to cause any health issues.
Bending of the limbs and bones.
Skeletal fluorosis, or a change in the structure of the bones, can occur when individuals are exposed to high concentrations of fluoride over a long term.
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When does exposure to fluoride most likely lead to dental fluorosis?
Old age.
After all mature teeth have already grown in.
Before the age of six, when mature teeth have yet to grow in.
Dental fluorosis develops when the first teeth are just beginning to form, so before the age of six.
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You Got:
/10
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
