Toothpaste and atomic bombs?

Question

what is the ingredient that is found in toothpaste to prevent tooth decay and also used to make atomic bombs?

and also what is the controversy about it?

Answer 1

Toothpaste contain fluorine compounds (usually tin fluorine AKA stannous fluoride) that are known to help prevent cavities.

Fluorine was also used to make a compound, uranium hexafluoride, which is a gas at low pressure, and that can be used for isotopic uranium enrichment, perhaps to weapon grade. Of course, the fluorine is stripped away once the level of enrichment is achieved to return uranium metal.

But in both case, fluorine is a chemical element part of a compound (different in the case of toothpaste, from the uranium enrichment process), the ingredient is not fluorine.

The controversy is about adding fluorine compound to drinking water; some people see this as some sort of conspiracy, or health threatening.