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Politics and religion aside, few topics are more certain to ignite a war of words than the fluoridation of municipal water supplies in the United States. No, seriously: there are still camps out there who swear that Big Brother is using it to mind-control us all into submission, and groups like the Protect Our Water Alliance (POWA) vehemently assert that overexposure to Fluoride poses a cancer risk. On the other hand, according to dentists there’s been an alarming rise in early childhood and infant tooth decay — and losing baby teeth early can mean disaster for adult teeth when they come in — and part of the reason, they say, is that parents have been giving their kids more and more bottled water. Of course, the refined sugar found in so many foods marketed to kids is another concern, but that’s nothing new. According to Mary Hayes, spokeswoman for the American Dental Association, “Water with trace levels of fluoride in it has been shown to be one of the major reasons why children in this generation and the last generation have less decay than children 50 years ago.” Get the whole story on childhood tooth decay here — and brush those teeth!
Comments (8)
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It’s all a communist plot to contaminate our precious bodily fluids! I myself drink nothing but rain water and grain alcohol.
posted by Bill T. on 5-4-2007 at 11:36 am
you are not up to speed on how harmful fluoride really is. The latest research out of Harvard exhibits the higher incidence of deadly bone cancer in young boys. The European Union banned fluoride over a decade ago due to its harmful effects. It is way past time we stop this fraudulent practice. Our daughter passed away a year ago from osteosarcoma. If we had known the truth, we could have protected her. She never missed a fluoride treatment. The government, AMA and ADA have blood on their hands. Read Bryson’s book, The Fluoride Deception if you want5 to know the truth about this toxin.
posted by jeanruss on 5-4-2007 at 2:01 pm
The research is pretty solid that fluoride helps fight caries (the disease that causes cavities). There is a big difference in topical applications (that get applied directly to the surface of the teeth) and the pills that were taken in the 70’s. Over exposure (from daily pills) resulted in fluorsis – which causes white spots on the teeth. jeanruss, I am sorry about the loss of your daughter. However, I am not sure the cause was due to fluroide. Hopefully, the research community can come up with some conclusive data either way.
posted by micx on 5-4-2007 at 3:02 pm
My community flouridates our water, and I’m not sure if it’s because I’m just sensitive to chemicals, but I can actually taste it. The water itself seems heavier and just not right.
I’ve never been a fan of flouridation, does anyone else remember when you went to the dentist for a cleaning and the hygienist warned you profusely NOT to swallow the flouride they had you gargle with? I certainly do.
Flouride is widely known to be fatal in large quantities, and I can’t believe the government uses such skewed logic to solve a problem like this. Jeanrus, I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter. I hope our government wakes up before more people are hurt permanently.
posted by heather on 5-5-2007 at 12:21 am
Few people (and too many dentists) do not know that too much fluoride actually weakens teeth making them more apt to decay.
It was also little reported that the rise in tooth decay in primary teeth was centered in poor children’s mouths . Those who can’t afford bottled water. Non-poor children’s decay rates remained almost the same.
So could low income children be suffering from too much fluoride? After all the American Dental Association and Centers for Disease Control now advise that concentrated infant formula should not be mixed with fluoridated water.
Low income moms are more likely not to breastfeed because they have to work, more likely to buy concentrated formula because it’s cheaper and more likely to add free fluoridated tap water. That and the fluoride that’s already in the formula as well as in many infant foods may just put the low-incomed over the top in fluoride ingestion. Couple that with the fact that low-incomed don’t get enough calcium and too much sugar and you have a recipe of disaster for the teeth which only a dentist can fix – but they won’t.
Dentists want you to love the fluoride to divert your attention away from the fact that they won’t actually seat poor people in their dental chairs. 80% of dentists refuse Medicaid patients.
Only the recent deaths of two boys from untreated tooth decay is bringing that message to the American public
Don’t get sidetracked with this fluoride nonsense.
Fluoride is not a nutrient nor required for healthy teeth.
posted by nyscof on 5-5-2007 at 5:24 am
I’ve never understood how this process helps fight cavities. When I drink, the fluid runs straight to the back of my mouth and down the throat, only slightly brushing past my inside, lower teeth. I should know, I’ve done this experiment for years with no problems (except in 5th grade when my brother made me laugh and milk came out my nose (but that’s a whole other story)).
Have I been drinking wrong all these years?? Am I suppose to be swishing my drink all around my mouth before swallowing? I’m so confused….damn the ADA.
posted by Paul on 5-5-2007 at 7:59 am
Fluoride is a naturally-occurring element, that is found in a lot of food sources. Since we all eat food (tea and most meats) every day, and not that many people keel over daily from fluoride toxicity, I’m going to continue to eat food.
Pzul – no worries, that is the correct way to drink; unless you are trying to re-hydrate your sinuses, then do like 5th grade. (the fluoride gets into your bloodstream the same way calcium does, by being absorbed in the small intestine, and they both work to maintain the matrix of mineral crystals in bone and teeth.)
Fluorine is also found in many prescription drugs, because it’s an important chemical element…so if the opponents are so worried, they should never take an antibiotic, antifungal, antidepressant, or have general anaesthesia.
posted by HerToes on 5-5-2007 at 12:02 pm
Per usual, something that is helpful to near all but causes occasional harm is considered to be evil. What ignorance!
posted by Tom on 5-7-2007 at 9:26 am