I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: MooseMom on March 31, 2010, 03:29:47 PM

Title: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: MooseMom on March 31, 2010, 03:29:47 PM
I've started going to a new dentist.  I hadn't been to one in 6 years, and I needed to see one for my pretransplant evaluation.  My teeth and gums are now all nice and shiny, and the hygenist wants to give me flouride treatments.  Because I'm now so paranoid about anything that comes near me because you never know what mysterious substance might make my kidneys explode (starfruit, anyone?), I'm wondering if regular flouride treatments are problematic in any way for a kidney patient.  Anyone know?  Thanks.
Title: Re: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: monrein on March 31, 2010, 03:32:51 PM
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/kidney/

Based on this, I think I'd pass on those.
Title: Re: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: MooseMom on March 31, 2010, 03:41:32 PM
Oh, for God's sake!  Well, see, paranoia pays off.  I don't know about Canada, but water here in the US is flouridated, but no one has ever said anything to me about the dangers of flouride.  My neph has never mentioned it...no one.  Does anyone out there not drink flouridated water or use flouridated water during dialysis?  Has anyone here on IHD EVER had a conversation with ANYONE about the dangers of flouride?

I guess this is money saved at the dentist's office!

Does this mean that along with most other foods and liquids, now we have to avoid water?  Jeez, I'm surprised any of us are alive!
Title: Re: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: KarenInWA on March 31, 2010, 09:04:25 PM
MooseMom - this is exactly why I have a water cooler in my kitchen!  I get Crystal Springs water delivered to my home in 5 gallon jugs.  Sadly, I live in a state that is in a bugdet crisis and will soon be charging a 1 cent/oz tax on all bottled water.  The governor thinks bottled water is not needed and is a "luxury" item.  Ummmmm, what are people supposed to do in an emergency???

I drink my bottled water and cook with it.  I also use it for to make ice cubes.  I understand that one can purchase a water-filtering system for the whole home, which may be even better.  I haven't looked into it, but I did notice that at the store, the permanent water filters on the shelf have different "levels".  I would assume that the higher levels would filter out the fluoride.  Good subject to research...

KarenInWA
Title: Re: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: calypso on March 31, 2010, 10:04:32 PM
You do realize that bottled water is usually just tap water from another state right?
Title: Re: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: Stoday on April 01, 2010, 12:45:05 AM
You do realize that bottled water is usually just tap water from another state right?
Not in Europe, where the bottle must state the water's origin, as "Mineral Water" or "Spring Water".

When Coca-cola tried to sell Dasani (tap water) in the UK it bombed and they gave up.
Title: Re: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: KarenInWA on April 01, 2010, 05:49:25 AM
Crystal Springs water is not tap water.  The price I pay (before that regressive state tax kicks in) is minimal, and quite worth it to me.

Case in point - I can have a glass of my Crystal Springs water sit out for a long time and it tastes just as good as it did when I first got it from the cooler.  Can I say the same with the water from my tap?  Not a chance.  After tap water has been sitting out for a while, it tastes wretched.  Also, when the ice cubes melt in my drink, it doesn't taint the drink with that nasty melted ice cube taste that I used to get.  I don't know how to explain that taste, but I can say I sure don't miss it!

KarenInWA
Title: Re: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: MooseMom on April 01, 2010, 07:54:59 AM
Does everyone drink some sort of bottled water?  Really, my neph nor my renal dietician have ever mentioned this.  I use a Brita filter, but I have no idea if it removes flouride.  Do all of you use a housewide filtering system?
Title: Re: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: monrein on April 01, 2010, 09:26:23 AM
A reverse osmosis filter will remove the fluoride, Brita won't.  Boiling water just concentrates the fluoride apparently. This is all new info for me too MM but I do have osteoporosis (from osteopenia to moderate osteoporosis in the last year before transplant) and so plan to look into a household filtering system.  At the cottage I use bottled water that we pour into a non-leaching plastic container.  I also plan to ask my dentist about this but I'm not thinking of panicking...that just leads to functional paralysis in my experience.  I drink lots and lots of Toronto tap water, I like the taste, but I'll change my habits if need be.
Title: Re: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: sullidog on April 01, 2010, 05:38:53 PM
This is a good question. I think I will ask my dialysis care team. Now what I do know is I just got my first cleaning in 6 years the other day and they didn't give me floride, and the topic of it never even came up.
Troy
Title: Re: Flouride treatments and kidney disease
Post by: MooseMom on April 01, 2010, 10:12:30 PM
This is a good question. I think I will ask my dialysis care team. Now what I do know is I just got my first cleaning in 6 years the other day and they didn't give me floride, and the topic of it never even came up.
Troy
I really hate to say this because I don't like sounding skeptical, but I have a feeling that the hygenist was just trying to sell me something.  I meant to ask my neph about it today at my regular appt, but I forgot; I was too stressed out.