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The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), a leader in children’s oral health.

It found U.S. parents and caregivers are uninformed about cavity-causing bacteria and teeth-friendly snacks.   One result showed 96% of U.S. adults with children under 12 years old in their household thought a cracker was better for children’s teeth than a piece of caramel.  Starches, however, can also cause cavities like sugars, and caramels dissolve more quickly from the mouth than crackers.

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But not so fast, my thrifty water-loving friend–if you live in the city or otherwise have access to municipal treated water. While the clear fluid coming out of your faucet is H2O just like the stuff in that naughty $40 plastic bottle, it may have a few things added to the H’s and O’s that could be more costly than any plastic bottle.

Unfortunately, municipal water treatment nowadays means more than just water cleansed of poop, pee, and various other nasty bits of stuff in order to make for a potable potation coming out of your tap. And what municipalities put into the water could be as unhealthy for the planet as they are for you.

Probably the most infamous introduction to municipal water is fluoride. Way back in the 1940s, fluoride found its way into American water systems after scientists discovered that people who ingested fluoride-treated water apparently had less instances of tooth decay. And ever since, fluoride treatment has been standard practice in municipalities worldwide.

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While the experts disagree on whether added fluoride in small amounts is necessary, companies as diverse as toothpaste manufacturers and more recently bottled water distributors have jumped on the bandwagon. Now one of them, Nursery Water, is under scrutiny by major environmental action groups.

One of the nation’s biggest infant bottle water companies – Nursery Water - is misleading parents with erroneous information on its website and advertising materials touting the safety and benefits of fluoride in infant bottled water in clear violation of Federal Trade Commission rules, noted Environmental Working Group (EWG) scientists in a letter sent today to officials at the FDA and FTC.

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Fluoride is a case in point.

Cavities used to be a fact of life for children growing up in the U.S. However, with the advent of fluoridated water in many municipalities, this is no longer true (in fact, it caused a bit of a crisis in the dental community as pediodontists saw their income declining).

Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral in all waters sources, oceans, lakes, and streams, was stripped out of water treated by municipalities for years. In the last few decades, driven by new research and supported by the American Dental Association, fluoride has been added back into the water supply, resulting, it is claimed, in the drastic reduction of childhood caries that we see today. However, now fluoride is also present in toothpaste, salt, 100% juice drinks, sodas, and even chicken and fish. And, increasingly manufacturers are adding fluoride to products marketed to children and advertising them as “good for growing teeth”. This may in fact cause more harm than good.

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Fluoride. In large quantities the stuff can be down right toxic. For years we've been told fluoride is good for the teeth but there is a raging debate about whether or not small amounts added to the water supply and to toothpaste, while good at fighting cavities, just might be really bad for us. The American Dental Association (ADA) says it is safe, but there are many folks out there who disagree. The good news is there are many toothpastes available without fluoride.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or SLS. It is a foaming agent used in toothpaste and shampoos. SLS is also skin irritant and can cause mouth sores or canker sores. Tom's of Maine, a natural toothpaste maker, uses SLS in their products and maintains that it doesn't pose a risk, but if you're prone to canker sores find a toothpaste without it.

Triclosan. It is a antiseptic widely used in deodorants, soaps and toothpastes which can react with chlorine in water to create a dioxin. Again, companies that use it (Colgate-Palmolive for one) say it is completely safe and there isn't conclusive evidence otherwise, but the ADA did come out with a study says it isn't relevant to toothpaste.

Some alternatives to try:
Jason's Natural Toothpaste - cleans and whitens with sodium bicarbonate, bamboo, silica and calcium carbonate.

Vita-Myr - helps out the gums and uses zinc, folic acid, clove and myrrh.

Tom's of Maine - it does have SLS but they've got a lot of fluoride free options and can be found in most super market and drugstores. Tom's has a good section on their website that explains the different ingredients in their product.

Or you can also make your own toothpaste with baking soda. Mix up a paste and add a few drops of essential oils if you like (mint or cinnamon). A box of baking soda will go a lot further than a tube of toothpaste.

Amy says: I've been using Tom's toothpaste for a few years now and it seems to be working just fine, plus they've got a lot of options so when I finish up with one tube I try a new flavor with the next.

More info:

Better Nutrition Magazine