Water

• Almost 2/3 of America's population ingests fluoride on a daily basis through their drinking water. Communities began adding fluoride to their drinking water, a process known as water fluoridation, in the early 1940s. Fluoride kills bacteria in the mouth and works along with chlorine and other additives to purify water. Fluoride is also added to municipal water supplies because it strengthens tooth enamel and helps prevent the decay of tooth enamel, something that has proven to be exceptionally beneficial to poorer communities. Fluoride is found naturally in rivers and lakes. Due to the fact that fluoride can be toxic in higher doses, these water supplies should be filtered as the exact level of fluoride in the water is often unknown.
  
  

Toothpaste

• Tooth enamel naturally loses its minerals and decays. Fluoride works with calcium and phosphate to slow this process and improve remineralization, or the production of new tooth enamel. Many toothpastes contain fluoride for this purpose, notably children's toothpaste as it aids children in the production of permanent teeth and strengthens the enamel. Fluoride has also been added to other dental products like mouthwash and the fluoride varnish used by dentists. The health effects of fluoride in toothpaste, as in other applications, has been debated as the toxicity of fluoride depends on its concentration and how it is used.
  
  

Teflon

• Fluoride is used in Teflon to provide a protective coating on everything from cookware to medical instruments. Known as a fluoropolymer, the fluoride in Teflon works on the surface it is applied to in the same way that fluoride works in toothpastes and in drinking water by serving as a coating that repels and protects. In the instance of Teflon, the fluoride is bonded with carbon to produce a polymer with a very high melting point that is extremely friction resistant, as well as highly resistant to acids, bases and other chemicals. However, like any type of fluoride fluoropolymers are highly toxic which is why Teflon-coated cookware requires delicate treatment as scraping can release fatal doses of fluoride into cooking.
  
  

Refrigerants

• Chlorofluorocarbon is an organic compound composed of carbon, chloride and fluoride commonly known as Freon. Because the chemicals bond to create a compound with low reactivity to other chemicals as well as low flammability, Freon replaced other chemicals as a coolant in everyday refrigerators and air conditioners. Freon has a very low toxicity as compared to previously used chemicals like ammonia and sulfur dioxide. Chlorofluorocarbon is also used as a propellant in aerosol cans and has been used in fire extinguishers. Chlorofluorocarbons, along with other aerosols, have been phased out as they were revealed to be a contributing factor in the depletion of the ozone layer.