Fluoride, Pipes, and the Pineal Gland: Why Hydroxyapatite Is the Smarter Choice

Casey Zeck
Sep 4
3 min read

When America began fluoridating its water in 1945, the move was hailed as a bold step to fight cavities. Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first test city, and soon after, fluoridation spread across the country. On the surface, it seemed like progress—less tooth decay, healthier smiles. But history rarely unfolds in neat, single-threaded stories. Around the same time fluoride was added, America’s plumbing was also undergoing a dramatic shift.

Pipes Tell Part of the Story

For decades, water moved through lead pipes. Once the dangers of lead were undeniable, municipalities replaced them with copper, and later, with plastics like PVC and CPVC. Each change in material altered the way chemicals in our water interacted with our bodies.

Fluoride + copper = corrosion and leaching of additional metals.
Fluoride + plastic = no resistance, full absorption into the body.

The timing of these changes isn’t just coincidence. When fluoride was introduced to drinking water, the very systems delivering it ensured that more of it would make its way into us.

The Pineal Gland: A Hidden Target

Once inside, fluoride doesn’t just vanish. It accumulates in bones and tissues, but perhaps most interestingly, it finds a home in the pineal gland—the tiny organ that regulates melatonin and our sleep-wake cycles.

Autopsy studies show the pineal gland can contain more fluoride than bone itself.

With calcification comes disrupted melatonin production, earlier puberty in animal studies, and questions about long-term human health. Even U.S. National Research Council reviews have admitted: the pineal gland is likely affected.

Other Countries Said No

Not every nation followed America’s lead. Most of Europe has rejected water fluoridation outright. Countries like Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark banned or discontinued it decades ago, citing safety concerns and ethics around “mass medication.”

And what happened to their teeth? Nothing catastrophic. Dental decay rates in non-fluoridating nations have declined at the same pace as fluoridating countries. The global drop in cavities is linked more to better oral hygiene, nutrition, and toothpaste use than to water fluoridation.

Toothpaste: The Real Daily Dose

Here’s where Americans still have a choice. Even if you can’t control your water, you can control what’s in your toothpaste.

95% of Americans use fluoride toothpaste daily.
That’s 2 exposures a day, 365 days a year, for decades.

We’re told its harmless, yet countless studies show strong indications that fluoride may adversely affect cognitive development in children, so much so that children in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low-fluoride areas.

Tiny doses stack up—just like fragrance, pesticides, and plastics.

Hydroxyapatite: Nature’s Tooth Mineral

There’s a better option. Teeth are made of hydroxyapatite, a natural calcium-phosphate mineral that makes up 97% of enamel. Instead of forcing minerals into enamel the way fluoride does, hydroxyapatite directly rebuilds enamel in its natural form.

Safe if swallowed (even for kids).
Clinically proven to protect against cavities and reduce sensitivity.
No systemic accumulation, no pineal burden.

Brands like Risewell and Happy Tooth are proving that fluoride isn’t essential—it’s outdated. Hydroxyapatite works with the body, not against it.

The Bigger Question

Some say fluoridation was a harmless decision, a product of its time. But to assume that the overlap of new chemicals, changing pipe materials, and new exposure pathways was purely accidental feels naïve. Whether intentional or not, the result is the same: fluoride is in the water, the pipes help it reach us more effectively, and toothpaste ensures it enters our bodies twice a day.

The beauty of today is that you have alternatives. You can control the products you bring into your home. You can swap fluoride toothpaste for hydroxyapatite and still protect your teeth—without risking long-term systemic effects. Because nothing about putting fluoride in your mouth twice a day is inconsequential.