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“It’s a naturally occurring element” already present in water and many of the foods we <br />eat, he said. <br />Federal guidelines updated in 2011 recommend adding 0.7 parts per million of fluoride <br />to water supplies to prevent dental caries, the process of de-mineralization of the teeth <br />that can lead to cavities or holes in the teeth. <br />This is the amount that OWASA adds, Wright said. <br />At 2 and 3 parts per million, chronic or long-term fluoride exposure can damage tooth <br />formation prenatally and in children up to teenagers, Wright said. <br />At 4 parts per million, fluoride has been associated with hip fractures in post - <br />menopausal women, he said. <br />But Wright said it takes years of exposure to high levels of fluoride for most people to <br />see such effects. Even people who drink fluoridated water, use fluoride toothpaste and <br />get fluoride treatments at the dentists are not getting enough of it to cause problems. <br />-- The Herald-Sun's Anna Johnson, Zachery Eanes and Ray Gronberg contributed to <br />this story from Chapel Hill and Durham. The News & Observer's Mark Schultz and <br />Tammy Grubb contributed to this story from Carrboro, Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. <br />News & Observer staffers Tammy Grubb and Mark Schultz contributed to this story. Contact Anna <br />Johnson: ajohnson@heraldsun.com, 919-419-6675. <br />