What Is the Difference Between Fluorine and Fluoride?

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is the Difference Between Fluorine and Fluoride?" ThoughtCo, Nov. 27, 2014, thoughtco.com/fluorine-vs-fluoride-3975953. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2014, November 27). What Is the Difference Between Fluorine and Fluoride? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/fluorine-vs-fluoride-3975953 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is the Difference Between Fluorine and Fluoride?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/fluorine-vs-fluoride-3975953 (accessed September 26, 2017).
Toothpaste contains fluoride, but not free fluorine.
Toothpaste contains fluoride, but not free fluorine. Adam Ciesielski, stock.xchng
Updated November 27, 2014

First off, yes, it's fluorine and fluoride and not flourine and flouride. The mis-spelling is common, but the 'u' comes before the 'o'. Fluorine is a chemical element. Its anion, F-, or any of the compounds containing the anion are termed fluorides. When you hear about fluoride in drinking water, it comes from adding a fluorine compound (usually sodium fluoride, sodium fluorosilicate, or fluorosilicic acid) to drinking water, which dissociates to release the F- ion.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is the Difference Between Fluorine and Fluoride?" ThoughtCo, Nov. 27, 2014, thoughtco.com/fluorine-vs-fluoride-3975953. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2014, November 27). What Is the Difference Between Fluorine and Fluoride? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/fluorine-vs-fluoride-3975953 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is the Difference Between Fluorine and Fluoride?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/fluorine-vs-fluoride-3975953 (accessed September 26, 2017).