Sodium flouride, which is often given to children to strengthen their teeth and help prevent tooth decay, may also help prevent osteoporosis in older patients. Osteoporosis is a disorder that causes bones to thin and weaken and is particularly common among older menopausal women.

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that women who took a sodium flouride supplement in conjunction with calcium citrate had healthier bones than women who took a placebo.

Participants in the study had been diagnosed with post-menopausal osteoporosis and had incurred fractures. After almost four years, those women who had received the supplements had a drop in new spinal fracture rate of 70 percent. Spinal bone mass had increased by four to six precent in these patients and they had one-third less height loss. They also reported a reduction in the frequency and severity of back pain during the study.