How To Test For Fluoride (Top 3 Ways)

Let me guess… you know how bad fluoride is and now you want to know how to test for fluoride in your water?

What can I say, I’m a magician.

Now, let me show you how to test for fluoride.

How To Test For Fluoride In Water? (Top 3 Ways)

You’d think since fluoride is in the water of millions of people, it would be easy to test.

However, as you’ll see, it’s not that easy…

As it stands, there are 3 ways to test for fluoride in water:

• Official Lab Test
• Testing Strips
• Fluoride Meter

And realistically, only the third way is worth your time and money.

Nonetheless, you should still read the first two ways in order to better appreciate the third.

1. Get An Official Lab Test

This sounds like the best way of testing for fluoride but it’s not my favorite.

Here are the pro and cons of this option:

PROS:

• Most reliable and accurate test result

CONS:

• Expensive
• Test one sample of water at a time
• Have to deliver your sample to the lab

The main issue is that fluoride levels can and will change.

It’s possible, even likely, that when you get your water tested, fluoride levels can change in months, weeks or even days after you tested it.

In general, there is just too much effort in continuously getting official lab tests.

Thus a more convenient and efficient way is required.

2. Use Testing Strips

I’m going to keep this one short and sweet.

When it comes to testing fluoride with testing strips, it’s a complete waste of your time and money.

Testing strips just don’t work, even if they say they do…

For example, before I tried the third way, I bought myself testing strips that said they were able to test fluoride (circled in red, in picture below).

However, I quickly returned it as it was giving me unreliable test results.

The testing strips were giving me the exact same fluoride levels for everything I tested.

This made no sense, since I knew they all had different fluoride levels.

For example, it’s well known where I live (Toronto, Canada) that fluoride levels in tap water are commonly 0.6 ppm.

While as demonstrated in does reverse osmosis filter fluoride and do Berkey water filters remove fluoride, both filters produce water with 0.0 ppm of fluoride.

Yet somehow, the test strips were showing the same fluoride levels for all three.

In other words, testing strips don’t work for fluoride and you should avoid them.

3. Use A Fluoride Meter (Recommended)

This is the method I use to test everything at Truth About Fluoride.

It’s what I used to test many of the bottles of water, teas, and beverages that you can find at bottled water without fluoride, beverages without fluoride, fluoride in tea, fluoride in coffee, and fluoride in kombucha.

Now, besides getting an official lab test, a fluoride meter is really the only other option to test fluoride in water.

The fluoride meter I use is the “Extech FL700 Fluoride Meter” (link to Amazon).

There is one other fluoride meter on Amazon but it’s more than double the price of the one I use.

But before you buy one for yourself, let’s figure out if you should get one.

Should You Get A Fluoride Meter?

If you want to test fluoride in your water, a fluoride meter is really the only way to do it.

The only problem is the price they cost.

Now, whether or not you should get one, depends on one question…

Would your money be better spent buying a water filter that removes fluoride?

Now I know what you’re thinking…

Why would you need a water filter that removes fluoride, if you don’t even know if your water has fluoride?

That’s a great question but it’s important to remember fluoride is not the only toxic substance in our water, arsenic, chlorine, and lead are also very likely to be present.

Knowing how much fluoride is in your water will only help settle your curiosity.

While getting a filter will get rid of the problem for good.

However, if you have the money to do both, then do it.

Now if you do decide to get yourself one, here’s what you should know on how to use it…

How To Test For Fluoride Using A Fluoride Meter

It’s a very easy process that takes less than 60 seconds.

With the entire process broken down into 3 simple steps…

Step 1: Make Sure You Have Everything You Need

In order to start testing fluoride in your liquid (water, coffee, tea).

You’ll need to make sure you have everything you need, 3 things specifically:

• Fluoride Meter
• TISAB Tablets (comes with meter)
• Fluoride Standard Solution (1 ppm)

The reason you need the fluoride standard solution is to calibrate the fluoride meter.

This basically tells the fluoride meter what 1 ppm of fluoride looks like, which it then uses to compare against other liquids you test.

Step 2: Dissolve a TISAB Tablet

After you set-up the fluoride meter by following the instructions provided.

Fill up the plastic container, with whatever you want to test.

Once you have 20 ml of what you want to test, place and dissolve 1 TISAB tablet into the liquid.

To speed up the process you can crush the tablet with some chopsticks and swirl the water around.

Step 3: Place Fluoride Meter Into Solution

Once the tablet is completely dissolved.

All you have to do is place the fluoride meter into the little container and press “ON“.

In about 35 seconds, the fluoride level will show on the fluoride meter’s screen.

Yes, that’s an impressive 0.0 ppm of fluoride from my reverse osmosis filter (not trying to show off… actually, maybe just a little)…

But it’s that easy!

In less than 60 seconds you can test how much fluoride your water, tea, or coffee contains.

Anyways, that wraps up the article on how to test for fluoride.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below and I’ll get to them ASAP.

Cheers!