You’re Still Told Fluoridation Prevents Tooth Decay, but Science Proves Otherwise Despite widespread public health adoption, water fluoridation has come under close scrutiny over the past quarter century. Time has stripped away fluoridation’s rosy glow. Once touted as the magic solution to dental caries, fluoride’s benefit for your teeth – IF there is any, which is still debatable – comes with overshadowing downsides. No matter which scientific studies you examine, or which population trends you view, the only rational conclusion is that fluoride’s health dangers far outweigh the marginal dental benefits it might offer. The science is very clear about the following: Fluoride is a toxic industrial waste product that is a poison to your body and in no way a “nutrient,” offering no benefits at all to the human body. The fluoride added to water supplies can be contaminated with lead, arsenic, radionucleotides, aluminum and other industrial contaminants. Additionally, the fluoride added to municipal water supplies is not pharmaceutical grade. Fluoride exposure comes from tap water, most toothpaste and many antibiotics, including ones given to farm animals. There is a large variation in exposure levels, making it impossible to accurately predict these variables for any person, family or community. Fluoride exposure for many can easily reach toxic levels. For example, poison control should be called if you swallow a quarter milligram of fluoride from toothpaste. Meanwhile just ONE glass of water can contain this amount of fluoride. Fluoride is a cumulative poison that has been proven to cause wide-ranging, serious health problems, such as damage to your bones, brain and endocrine system. Dental caries can be prevented with means other than fluoridation, thereby avoiding the adverse effects of fluoride. Fluoride is Found in More than Just Your Drinking Water Fluoride is found in all natural waters to some degree. It can be extremely high in groundwater, depending on a number of factors, such as the types of rocks and minerals of that region. Drinking water is the largest fluoride source, adding to your exposure from dental products. But you may not be aware that fluoride is also present in some surprising places: A variety of vegetables and fruits, grains, taro, yams, cassava, meat, poultry and fish (especially canned fish), milk and tea; most natural foods have only minor levels of fluoride, but there are a few exceptions. Tea leaves, for example, tend to concentrate fluoride from the soil; deboned meat and poultry can be very high in fluoride due to contamination from bone particles during processing. Processed foods and beverages such as sodas, juices, sports drinks, baby foods, etc., are often high in fluoride. Air can be tainted with fluoride, particularly in areas with greater industrial pollution from coal burning and phosphate fertilizer production; fluoride exposure can also be a problem after volcanic eruptions, as was discovered in southern Iceland. Pesticides and cryolite,1 a fluoride-containing mineral used as a pesticide on dozens of food products in the U.S. Non-stick pans emit a fluoride gas when heated. Summary of Fluoride’s Potential Health Hazards It’s important to realize that fluoride is a cumulative toxin, which over time can lead to more serious health concerns than dental fluorosis (spotting on your teeth). Skeletal fluorosis from fluoride toxicity can be crippling and even deadly. The neurological effects are also quite disturbing. There are now 25 studies showing fluoride is associated with diminished IQ, even at levels as low as 0.3 to 3 parts per million, which overlaps the range in many American communities (0.7 to 1.2 ppm). Studies have shown fluoride toxicity can lead to the wide-ranging problems listed below. Increases lead absorption Disrupts collagen synthesis Hyperactivity and/or lethargy Crippling skeletal fluorosis and bone fractures Genetic damage and cell death Increased tumor and cancer growth Disrupts immune system Inhibits antibody production Brain damage, and lowered IQ Dementia Arthritis Severe eye problems, includingblindness Impaired thyroid function Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) Inactivates 62 enzymes Muscle disorders Causes of Dental Caries Dental caries are caused by demineralization of your teeth (enamel and dentin) by the acids formed during the bacterial fermentation of dietary sugars. Demineralization is countered by the deposit of minerals from your saliva, or remineralization, which is a slow process. Enthusiasts report that fluoride prevents dental caries by enhancing mineralization.2 However, dental caries are not caused by a lack of fluoride, just as depression is not caused by a lack of Prozac. Some of the primary causes of tooth decay cited in the literature include: Consistent use of refined sugar, sugary soft drinks, and processed foods in general Children going to bed with a bottle of sweetened drink in their mouth, or sucking at will from such a bottle during the day Poor dental hygiene and poor access to and utilization of dental health services, usually related to socioeconomic status Mineral deficiencies, like magnesium, which can weaken bones and teeth More than 600 medications promote tooth decay by inhibiting saliva4 By far, excess dietary sugar is the most significant factor. The World Health Organization (WHO)5 and most dental experts agree upon this fact. The evidence for dental caries being a function of social class is weak,6 at best. The massive consumption of sugar in the Western diet, particularly fructose in high fructose corn syrup, fuels the fire of tooth decay. Does Fluoride Help Prevent Tooth Decay? Fluoride advocates often claim that the reduction in tooth decay that’s occurred since the 1950s is a benefit of fluoridated water, but the facts just don’t add up. For example, in 1999 the CDC claimed that dental caries declined precipitously during the second half of the 20th Century. But what they failed to mention is that tooth decay rates “precipitously declined” in ALL Western nations, regardless of whether or not fluoridation was used – and most of those countries did NOT fluoridate!7 The American Dental Association (ADA) has helped the CDC in trying to pull the wool over your eyes. For years, the ADA has warned that if you stop fluoridating your water, your rates of tooth decay will increase. Indeed, if fluoride were effective in preventing caries, you would expect to see an increase in tooth decay when fluoridation is stopped. Yet, this is NOT what we see! This makes it rather ridiculous to argue that water fluoridation is having any sort of health benefit. The science should be as obvious to these government agencies as it is to us, yet they continue to deny and misrepresent the truth, under the pressure of powerful lobbyists holding the purse strings for the “fluoride industry.” When we examine the trend of dental caries over time, comparing those who are fluoridated to those who are not, it’s easy to understand why so many people are now against fluoridation – including me. I have long advocated against the use of fluoride, as I believe there are far better – SAFER ways to improve your family’s dental health. Scientific Studies You Can’t Ignore The following demographic studies and fluoridation trends make it clear that fluoridation has very little to do with whether or not you develop cavities. In Japan, fluoridation has been virtually nonexistent since the 1970s, yet rates of dental caries have declined since that time – in spite of their increased sugar consumption. In the town of Tiel in the Netherlands, water fluoridation was discontinued in 1973, and by 1993, rates of dental caries had declined. In the town of Kuopio, Finland, water fluoridation was stopped after 1992. In 1995 and 1998, dental caries had either decreased or stayed the same. In two towns in former East Germany, a significant fall in the prevalence of dental caries was seen in the twenty years following cessation of water fluoridation. In Cuba, water fluoridation was discontinued in 1990, and in March of 1997, dental caries had significantly trended downward. In Canada, “the prevalence of caries decreased over time in the fluoridation-ended community while remaining unchanged in the fluoridated community.” Excessive Fluoride Negates Any Potential Benefit Bill Osmunson is a full-time dentist with a Masters Degree in Public Health. According to Dr. Osmunson, some studies suggest, when viewed in isolation, that fluoride may offer a minor benefit to your teeth. However, when you factor in the excessive amounts of fluoride we’re ingesting from multiple sources, any small benefit is lost under the weight of fluoride’s toxic effects. Remember, fluoride is a cumulative poison. When authorities try to determine the safety and efficacy of fluoride in drinking water, they calculate estimated water consumption based on a location’s average temperature, humidity, geology, and the “average” health status of the people living there – all factors that are so highly variable that any effort to estimate them are little more than a wild guess. How can a decision about “dosing” fluoride in your water be even remotely scientific. Dr. Osmunson explains: “Is it appropriate to put in a substance into water, where some people may drink less than a liter a day and others drink up to 19 liters a day? That’s a huge difference in the dosage amount of fluoride that they are getting. And what about the other sources? Once fluoride became accepted as wonderful, we started putting it in toothpaste and of course there are the pesticides, the cryolite, and the post-harvest fumigants. And then there are the dental fillings, the dental topical treatment, the fluoride varnishes in the medical products, and the Teflon pans… I started to look at how much we are getting. We’re getting much more – two to three times more than when they started fluoridation.” Early on, there were some convincing studies showing fluoride made teeth harder and more able to withstand acids. However, when Dr. Osmunson delved deeper into the literature, he found that the evidence supporting fluoride really wasn’t as strong as it first seemed, and fluoride didn’t appear to reduce tooth decay to any significant degree. In fact, there’s even substantial evidence that populations with less fluoride have less decay. If you would like to hear more from Dr. Osmunson, I invite you to watch our 2011 interview on this topic. healthy-holistic-living/fluoridation-does-not-prevent-tooth-decay.html
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 10:38:55 +0000
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