Fluorine is the world’s 13th most abundant element and constitutes 0.08% of the Earth crust. It has the highest electronegativity of all elements. Fluoride is found naturally in soil, water, and foods. It is also produced synthetically for use in drinking water, toothpaste, mouthwashes and various chemical products. Although fl uoride is used industrially in a fl uorine compound, the manufacture of ceramics, pesticides, aerosol propellants, refrigerants, glassware, and Tefl on cookware, it is a generally unwanted byproduct of aluminum, fertilizer, and iron ore manufacture. This paper reviews the human health effects of fl uoride. The authors conclude that available evidence suggests that fl uoride has a potential to cause major adverse human health problems, while having only a modest dental caries prevention effect. As part of efforts to reduce hazardous fl uoride ingestion, the practice of artifi cial water fl uoridation should be reconsidered globally, while industrial safety measures need to be tightened in order to reduce unethical discharge of fl uoride compounds into the environment. Public health approaches for global dental caries reduction that do not involve systemic ingestion of fl uoride are urgently needed. 

Keywords: Dental fl uorosis; Skeletal fl uorosis; Fluoride poisoning.