Fluoridation: Don't Let the Poisonmongers Scare You!

[Ian David]

Fluoridation:
Don't Let the Poisonmongers Scare You!

Bob Sprague
Mary Bernhardt
Stephen Barrett, M.D.

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in most water supplies. Fluoridation is the adjustment of the natural fluoride concentration to about one part of fluoride to one million parts of water. Although fluoridation is safe and effective in preventing tooth decay, the scare tactics of misguided poisonmongers have deprived many communities of its benefits.

The history of fluoridation in the United States underlines its unique standing as a public health measure copied from a natural phenomenon. In the early 1900s, Dr. Frederick S. McKay began an almost 30-year search for the cause of the staining of teeth that was prevalent in Colorado, where he practiced dentistry. In his investigation, McKay found the condition common in other states, including Texas, where it was known as "Texas teeth." In 1928, he concluded that such teeth, although stained, showed "a singular absence of decay," and that both the staining and the decay resistance were caused by something in the water. In 1931, the "something" was identified as fluoride.

<snip>


Recent data have shown that fluoridation has been reducing the incidence of cavities 20% to 40% in children and 15% to 35% in adults. The reduction is less than it used to be, probably due to improved dental hygiene and widespread use of fluoride toothpaste. Currently, more than 140 million Americans live in fluoridated communities. But 80 million others receive public water supplies that are not fluoridated -- thanks largely to the efforts of poisonmongers.

<snip>

How Poisonmongers Work

The antifluoridationists' ("antis") basic technique is the big lie. Made infamous by Hitler, it is simple to use, yet surprisingly effective. It consists of claiming that fluoridation causes cancer, heart and kidney disease, and other serious ailments that people fear. The fact that there is no supporting evidence for such claims does not matter. The trick is to keep repeating them -- because if something is said often enough, people tend to think there must be some truth to it.

A variation of the big lie is the laundry list. List enough "evils," and even if proponents can reply to some of them, they will never be able to cover the entire list. This technique is most effective in debates, letters to the editor, and television news reports. Another variation is the simple statement that fluoridation doesn't work. Although recent studies show less difference than there used to be in decay rates between fluoridated and nonfluoridated communities, the benefit is still substantial. In fact, the Public Health Service estimates that every dollar spent for community fluoridation saves about fifty dollars in dental bills.

More (long article with extensive documentation):
http://www.quackwatch.org/03HealthPromotion/fluoride.html

[Swede]

1. Sounds about right to me.

nt

[alarimer]

2. Quackwatch is a valuable resource.

I am glad they put a lot of this to rest. Plus they have an artcle on how to spot a quack which is priceless.

[laureloak]

3. But they don't tell you about florosis.

My son's permanent teeth are deformed and have mottled enamel caused by floride. He's lucky that they aren't brown as is common with florosis.

[Ian David]

8. Yes, the article mentions that. Read more than just the teaser. n/t

However, what it doesn't mention is how it may sap your manly essence.

[Autumn Colors]

4. Perfect example...

My family lived in a city with fluoridated water from the time I was born until I was 5 years old. We then moved to a house outside of town with well water. A year later, my sister was born.

I have ALWAYS had fewer cavities and dental problems than my sister, who never drank fluoridated water as I did when I was little.

My sister is now 37 and I'm 43. Neither of us has had any type of cancer, heart, or kidney disease. My mom has heart disease, but that runs on her side of the family, so I'm not going to blame that on the fluoridation.

I say ignore the "antis" as well.

[put out]

5. Just an anecdote. My mother and my father had crummy

dental histories. Gold teeth, bridges, root canals, crowns. Expensive and painful. They are lucky to have some original teeth at all, and they made use of all the dental hygiene available to them.

Then, I was born in 1960, and my brother in 1963. My mom and dad, on advice from their dentist, gave us fluoride pills (tiny salty tasting things) every night after we brushed. They quit doing that when our city water was fluoridated.

I am, you do the math, and have had one cavity, probably from grinding my teeth. My little bro has never had one.

The anti-fluoridation silliness has been going on for decades (and how are those dentures fitting, by the way). I am glad my folks took some good advice. It probably saved my brother and me many dollars and much pain, because they did it. Thanks, mom and dad.

Off hand, I wonder about people drinking so much bottled water, if it doesn't contain fluoride. Do you think we might see an increase in tooth decay? Worth a study. Hm-m-m.

Maybe ripe for a thesis.

[Ian David]

9. Fluoridation "conspiracy" is a cliche the right-wing uses to ridicule us

I can't help but ponder the motivation of those who dredge up that old nonsense (especially newer posters).

[Midnight Rambler]

6. Insert reference to "Our Precious Bodily Fluids" here

[Gabi Hayes]

7. baloney...who you going to believe? that guy? or this guy:

“I can no longer sit back and allow communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion and the international communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.”--Gen. Jack D. Ripper

you comsymps

EDIT: you beat me, Rambler...I was looking up the exact quote while you were posting

[sintax]

10. Don't let the corporations propagandize you- Fluoride causes cancer

though I know it is too late.

only in America the most ill informed people on the earth but they think they are informed, very dangerous.

The "naturally occurring fluoride" you refer to is not what is put into the water supply. What goes into the water supply comes from Cargill phosphate fertilizer plant in Hillsborough Bay, Florida. I know I'm spitting in the wind but ask yourself why Europe rejects this. Ask yourself why does the state of Kentucky, the most heavily fuoridated, have nearly the worst rate of dental caries?

Just what is in those scrubbers? Hmmm. Nah never mind just caustic comments and keeping head in the sand.


Fluoride water 'causes cancer'

Boys at risk from bone tumours, shock research reveals

Bob Woffinden
Sunday June 12, 2005
The Observer

Fluoride in tap water can cause bone cancer in boys, a disturbing new study indicates, although there is no evidence of a link for girls.

New American research suggests that boys exposed to fluoride between the ages of five and 10 will suffer an increased rate of osteosarcoma - bone cancer - bet-ween the ages of 10 and 19.

In the UK, fluoride is added to tap water on the advice of bodies such as the British Dental Association. The Department of Health maintains that it is a cost-effective public health measure that helps prevent tooth decay in children.

About 10 per cent of the population, six million people, receive fluoridated water, mainly in the Midlands and north-east, and the government plans to extend this, with Manchester expected to be next. About 170 million Americans live in areas with fluoridated water.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,150...

The Absurdities of Water Fluoridation

 

Red Flags Weekly

November 28, 2002

The Absurdities of Water Fluoridation

by Paul Connett, PhD

(See original article)

Water fluoridation is a peculiarly American phenomenon. It started at a time when Asbestos lined our pipes, lead was added to gasoline, PCBs filled our transformers and DDT was deemed so "safe and effective" that officials felt no qualms spraying kids in school classrooms and seated at picnic tables. One by one all these chemicals have been banned, but fluoridation remains untouched.

For over 50 years US government officials have confidently and enthusiastically claimed that fluoridation is "safe and effective". However, they are seldom prepared to defend the practice in open public debate. Actually, there are so many arguments against fluoridation that it can get overwhelming.

To simplify things it helps to separate the ethical from the scientific arguments.

For those for whom ethical concerns are paramount, the issue of fluoridation is very simple to resolve. It is simply not ethical; we simply shouldn't be forcing medication on people without their "informed consent". The bad news is that ethical arguments are not very influential in Washington, DC unless politicians are very conscious of millions of people watching them. The good news is that the ethical arguments are buttressed by solid common sense arguments and scientific studies which convincingly show that fluoridation is neither "safe and effective" nor necessary. I have summarized the arguments in several categories:

Fluoridation is UNETHICAL because:

1) It violates the individual's right to informed consent to medication.
2) The municipality cannot control the dose of the patient.
3) The municipality cannot track each individual's response.
4) It ignores the fact that some people are more vulnerable to fluoride's toxic effects than others. Some people will suffer while others may benefit.
5) It violates the Nuremberg code for human experimentation.

http://www.fluoridealert.org/absurdity.htm


Here are four of the 50 Reasons to avoid fluoride- Educate yourself:
9) The US fluoridation program has massively failed to achieve one of its key objectives, i.e. to lower dental decay rates while holding down dental fluorosis (mottled and discolored enamel), a condition known to be caused by fluoride. The goal of the early promoters of fluoridation was to limit dental fluorosis (in its mildest form) to 10% of children (NRC 1993, pp. 6-7). A major US survey has found 30% of children in optimally fluoridated areas had dental fluorosis on at least two teeth (Heller 1997), while smaller studies have found up to 80% of children impacted (Williams 1990; Lalumandier 1995 and Morgan 1998). The York Review estimates that up to 48% of children in optimally fluoridated areas worldwide have dental fluorosis in all forms and 12.5% with symptoms of aesthetic concern (McDonagh, 2000).

10) Dental fluorosis means that a child has been overdosed on fluoride. While the mechanism by which the enamel is damaged is not definitively known, it appears fluorosis may be a result of either inhibited enzymes in the growing teeth (Dan Besten 1999), or through fluoride's interference with G-protein signaling mechanisms (Matsuo 1996). In a study in Mexico, Alarcon-Herrera (2001) has shown a linear correlation between the severity of dental fluorosis and the frequency of bone fractures in children.

11) The level of fluoride put into water (1 ppm) is up to 200 times higher than normally found in mothers' milk (0.005 – 0.01 ppm) (Ekstrand 1981; Institute of Medicine 1997). There are no benefits, only risks, for infants ingesting this heightened level of fluoride at such an early age (this is an age where susceptibility to environmental toxins is particularly high).

12) Fluoride is a cumulative poison. On average, only 50% of the fluoride we ingest each day is excreted through the kidneys. The remainder accumulates in our bones, pineal gland, and other tissues. If the kidney is damaged, fluoride accumulation will increase, and with it, the likelihood of harm.

http://www.fluoridealert.org/50reasons.htm

[Ian David]

11. That's very funny, but satire belongs in the lounge please. Thank you. n/t

[sintax]

12. Cargill is your friend

now its back to the soma chamber

[Ian David]

13. I'm surprised you're not more worried about the Dihydrogen Monoixide

What is Dihydrogen Monoxide?

Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the unstable radical Hydroxide, the components of which are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.

For more detailed information, including precautions, disposal procedures and storage requirements, refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Dihydrogen Monoxide.
http://www.dhmo.org/msdsdhmo.html


Should I be concerned about Dihydrogen Monoxide?

Yes, you should be concerned about DHMO! Although the U.S. Government and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) do not classify Dihydrogen Monoxide as a toxic or carcinogenic substance (as it does with better known chemicals such as hydrochloric acid and saccharine), DHMO is a constituent of many known toxic substances, diseases and disease-causing agents, environmental hazards and can even be lethal to humans in quantities as small as a thimbleful.

Research conducted by award-winning U.S. scientist Nathan Zohner concluded that roughly 86 percent of the population supports a ban on dihydrogen monoxide. Although his results are preliminary, Zohner believes people need to pay closer attention to the information presented to them regarding Dihydrogen Monoxide. He adds that if more people knew the truth about DHMO then studies like the one he conducted would not be necessary.

A similar study conducted by U.S. researchers Patrick K. McCluskey and Matthew Kulick also found that nearly 90 percent of the citizens participating in their study were willing to sign a petition to support an outright ban on the use of Dihydrogen Monoxide in the United States.

More:
http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

[KT2000]

14. Are you kidding??

Stephen Barrett is a joke, as is Quackwatch.
This guy has a questionable history and always seems to pitch for corporate interests.
He is no more an expert on ALL the topics on his page than he is a licensed medical doctor (he is not).
He has engaged in some destructive and petty behavior that includes filing numerous lawsuits that appear to be more about harrassment and making a quick buck.

He paired up with a Ronald Gots to write a book about chemical injury that serves as the corporate play book for discrediting the chemically injured.

This guy is scum.

[Arbustosux]

15. contaminating our precious bodily fluids.....

Dr. Strangelove

[GarySeven]

16. Ice cream, Mandrake! -- children's ice cream!

"Have you ever heard of a thing called fluoridation? -- fluoridation of water? . . . Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous Communist plot we have ever had to face? . . . Do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water -- why, there are studies under way to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk, ice cream? Ice cream, Mandrake! -- children's ice cream!

"Do you know when fluoridation first began? . . . Nineteen hundred and forty-six. 1946, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh?

"It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual -- certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works."
-- Gen. Jack D. Ripper

[Liberal In Texas]

17. I don't actually think you or your "experts" meant "poisonmongers".

Mongers are dealers, sellers of goods, peddlers. A poisonmonger would be a seller of poisons. It kind of takes away from the authority of the argument.

And I must say. I could give you a dozen sites to every one you come up with talking about the horror of flouride:

Fluorine and its compounds are used in producing uranium. Fluorochlorohydrocarbons are used in refrigeration applications. Fluorine is used to produce many chemicals, including several high-temperature plastics. The presence of sodium fluoride in drinking water at the level of 2 ppm may cause mottled enamel in teeth, skeletal fluorosis, and may be associated with cancer and other diseases. However, topically applied fluoride (toothpaste, dental rinses) has been shown to help reduce dental caries.

Given the choice of NOT drinking this chemical, I choose NOT to.