Fluoride

What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country

For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.

What it is

Fluoride has a very strong affinity for calcium, so it is found mainly in calcified tissues such as bones and teeth. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
EFSA states that fluoride is not an essential nutrient. (European Food Safety Authority)

Getting too little

Tooth decay is not a disease caused by too little fluoride, and because the scientific evidence that fluoride is essential for growth and life is not yet sufficient, some views do not regard fluoride as an essential nutrient. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
No signs of fluoride deficiency have been identified. (European Food Safety Authority)

Getting too much

Too much fluoride is known to be linked to fluorosis of the teeth and skeleton, bone deformation, neurotoxicity and lower intelligence, endocrine problems, and a higher risk of some cancers. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)

Daily reference values by country

Korea · US · EU — tap to open

These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL

Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)

Group	AI	UL
0–5 months	0.01 mg	Checking
6–11 months	0.4 mg	Checking
1–2 years	0.6 mg	Checking
3–5 years	0.9 mg	Checking
Male · 6–8 years	1.3 mg	Checking
Male · 9–11 years	1.9 mg	Checking
Male · 12–14 years	2.6 mg	Checking
Male · 15–18 years	3.2 mg	Checking
Male · 19–29 years	3.5 mg	Checking
Male · 30–49 years	3.4 mg	Checking
Male · 50–64 years	3.2 mg	Checking
Male · 65–74 years	3.1 mg	Checking
Male · 75+ years	3 mg	Checking
Female · 6–8 years	1.3 mg	Checking
Female · 9–11 years	1.8 mg	Checking
Female · 12–14 years	2.4 mg	Checking
Female · 15–18 years	2.7 mg	Checking
Female · 19–29 years	2.8 mg	Checking
Female · 30–49 years	2.7 mg	Checking
Female · 50–64 years	2.6 mg	Checking
Female · 65–74 years	2.5 mg	Checking
Female · 75+ years	2.3 mg	Checking
Pregnancy	+0 mg	Checking
Lactation	+0 mg	Checking

US — NASEM (National Academies)

Group	AI	UL
0–6 months	0.01 mg	0.7 mg
7–12 months	0.5 mg	0.9 mg
1–3 years	0.7 mg	1.3 mg
4–8 years	1 mg	2.2 mg
Male · 9–13 years	2 mg	10 mg
Male · 14–18 years	3 mg	10 mg
Male · 19–30 years	4 mg	10 mg
Male · 31–50 years	4 mg	10 mg
Male · 51–70 years	4 mg	10 mg
Male · 71+ years	4 mg	10 mg
Female · 9–13 years	2 mg	10 mg
Female · 14–18 years	3 mg	10 mg
Female · 19–30 years	3 mg	10 mg
Female · 31–50 years	3 mg	10 mg
Female · 51–70 years	3 mg	10 mg
Female · 71+ years	3 mg	10 mg
Pregnancy · 14–18 years	3 mg	10 mg
Pregnancy · 19–30 years	3 mg	10 mg
Pregnancy · 31–50 years	3 mg	10 mg
Lactation · 14–18 years	3 mg	10 mg
Lactation · 19–30 years	3 mg	10 mg
Lactation · 31–50 years	3 mg	10 mg

UL — applies to: Unless otherwise specified, the UL represents total intake from food, water, and supplements.

EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)

Group	AI	UL	Safe level of intake
7–11 months	0.4 mg
1–3 years	0.6 mg
Male · 4–6 years	1 mg
Female · 4–6 years	0.9 mg
Male · 7–8 years	1.5 mg
Female · 7–8 years	1.4 mg
Male · 9–10 years	1.5 mg
Female · 9–10 years	1.4 mg
Male · 11–14 years	2.2 mg
Female · 11–14 years	2.3 mg
Male · 15–17 years	3.2 mg
Female · 15–17 years	2.8 mg
Male · 18+ years	3.4 mg
Female · 18+ years	2.9 mg
Pregnancy · 18–60 years	2.9 mg
Lactation · 18–60 years	2.9 mg
18+ years		—	Checking
Pregnancy · 18+ years		—	Checking
Lactation · 18+ years		—	Checking

Sources

EFSA DRV Finder (Dietary Reference Values) · checked 2026-10-07
EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 3: Minerals (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07

The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-16.

Check my supplements Other nutrients