Fluorine is an element found in many foods and drinks that is important for dental and bone health. Small amounts of fluorine can help reduce tooth decay by 50-60% and maintain strong bones when it is consumed through foods, drinks and supplements. However, large amounts of fluorine are also highly toxic and reactive, and were even used to produce nuclear bombs. Foods and drinks rich in naturally occurring fluorine include fish, seafood, tea, vegetables like carrots and cabbage. Tap water and sources like tea may also contain fluorine through fluoridation or air pollution. A fluorine deficiency can lead to tooth decay, poor eyesight and spinal curvature.

1. By Yun-Zen Huang
Fluorine and Daniel Martin
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2. What is fluorine?
Fluorine is an element necessary for the health
of most organisms. It can be found in almost
every tissue in your body, but most of it (96%) is
found in your bones and teeth.
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4. Foods that contain fluorine
Since fluorine can prevent tooth decay, it can be
found in toothpaste!
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5. Tap water and sea water is high in fluorine too!
That means everything washed and soaked in it
will contain fluorine. Foods that are rich in
fluorine include fish, any kind of sea food and
vegetables, tea, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers…
……..
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7. Even air contains fluorine! The fluorine in tea is
thought to be a natural ingredient. Actually, the
fluorine found in tea is from air-borne pollution.
If tea was grown in an enclosed, air filtered
environment, it contains no fluorine.
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8. Why we need fluorine
Small amounts of fluorine help reduce tooth
decay. Fluoridation in water can help reduce
dental problems in children by 50-60%.
Also, fluorine can maintain bone structure.
Fluorine works together with calcium to help
with the formation of teeth and bones.
Low doses of fluoride salts can sometimes be
used by the supervision of a doctor, so it can
accelerate the growth of bones.

9. Deficiency of fluorine
What happens if we don’t have enough
fluorine?
• Your teeth will decay slowly
• You will get poor eyesight
• You will have a curved spine
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10. Fun Facts
Did you know that large amounts of fluorine can
be turned into nuclear bombs? Fluorine is
actually an extremely reactive and highly toxic
gaseous element, large doses of it can be
extremely dangerous.
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11. Photo URLs
P1: http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/@api/deki/files/6970/=Fluorine.jpg
P2: https://www.spicherandco.com/images/P/18109%20EL%209-F-Fluorine.jpg
P3: http://www.economicvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Glass-of-Water.jpg
P4: http://www.lookchem.com/images/PeriodicTable/Fluorine%20.jpg
P5: http://tastytalk.com/im/2009/08/cooking-35.jpg
P6: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Cauliflower.JPG
P7: http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/guide/photos/carrots.jpg
P8: http://www.ottawaskeptics.org/images/feature_image/fluoride.jpeg
P9: http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/files/2010/09/Green-Tea-Good-or-
Bad.JPG
P10: http://s4.hubimg.com/u/2225051_f260.jpg
P11: http://www.bradfitzpatrick.com/store/images/products/preview/wm007-atomic-
bomb-clipart.jpg
P12: http://www.h2only.ca/articles/fluoride/fluorine_danger.gif

12. Thank you for your attention!