Commentary by Dr. Alex White
As a public health dentist with nearly 35 years of experience, I would like to respond to the Commentary last week from the “Fluoride Free Chapel Hill/Carrboro” campaign.
For more than 70 years, community water fluoridation has been used to prevent tooth decay and improve oral health. Millions of Americans – children, adults, and seniors – benefit from fluoridation each year. In 2014, more than 211 million people, or 75% of the U.S. population, were served by community water systems that contain enough fluoride to protect their teeth.
Community water fluoridation is not only safe and effective, it is also cost-saving – yielding about $38 savings in dental treatment costs for every $1 invested. Drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities by about 25% in children and adults. By preventing cavities, community water fluoridation improves health and saves money both for families, and for the U.S. health care system.
Community water fluoridation is recommended by nearly all major public health, medical, and dental organizations, including the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Public Health Service, and the World Health Organization. Because of its contribution to the large decline in cavities in the United States since the 1960s, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recognized water fluoridation as one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.
Let’s continue to follow the scientific and public health evidence supporting effective fluoridation of our public water supplies.
The good doctor can provide nothing more than talking points from the industry? What a waste of ink.
Fluoride is extremely difficult to eliminate from the body, as those of us with perfect kidneys can only get rid of half of it. Those with kidney problems (diabetics and pre-diabetics) eliminate very little, and babies can only eliminate 20 percent.
Over a lifetime, 50% of all fluoride consumed remains in the body (bones, brain, etc.). How much is safe? Promoters don’t know, and of course won’t say.
Fluoride is a deadly poison and certainly not a nutrient. It is no wonder that it causes serious health issues like dental fluorosis, thyroid damage, brittle bones (broken hips), arthritis, cancer, etc.
With regard to the propaganda promoted by the CDC, the ADA, the AMA and so called Health authorities, here is what an honest dentist has to say about this medical fraud:
In 36 years of practicing dentistry in water fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities, I have never seen a fluoride deficiency of the teeth! In fact, fluoride is not a part of the tooth structure naturally. However, I have seen many cases of fluoride excess. This is where the teeth are discolored by white or brown spots. These actually make the teeth weaker.
Practicing in multiple communities and hospital settings, I have never been able to distinguish which children (or adults) grew up in a fluoridated community or a non-fluoridated community. The bottom line is: Kids get cavities if they consume sugar products and don’t brush their teeth properly. It is the sugar that causes cavities! Fluoride in the water doesn’t prevent them.
A June 2015 Cochrane review on water fluoridation research said: “There is very little contemporary evidence, meeting the review’s inclusion criteria, that has evaluated the effectiveness of water fluoridation for the prevention of caries (decay).”
Dentists place fluoride in children to prevent cavities. This fluoride is pharmaceutical grade and is very acidic besides being poison if a child swallows a quantity of it. The fluoride in the water is a different chemical, which is contaminated and is a waste product recycled.
If indeed fluoride incorporates into tooth structure, you think that is the only place in the body this highly neurotoxic (affects brain and nerve tissue) and corrosive mineral gets absorbed? Think again!
— John A. Rothchild
http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20160625/OPINION02/160629694/Help-us-persuade-the-city-to-get-the-fluoride-out-of-Durango%E2%80%99s-water
It is refreshing to know some dentists are aware fluoridation is ineffective and the harm it causes to other parts of the body as well damaging tooth enamel.
These are talking points, heard millions of times, taught to fluoridation lobbying dentists and others. The truth is that modern science indicates that ingesting fluoride is ineffective at reducing tooth decay, harmful to health and a waste of money.
No American is, or ever was, fluoride-deficient. Millions are dentist-deficient. This public health dentist should be lobbying for Dental Health Therapists who just need 2 years training to do work as well or better than dentists. They will go into mouths and areas where dentists refuse to go. They have worked successfully for decades in other developed countries and recently in some US states.
Private dentists prefer to treat the water of and not the teeth of low income Americans. They use their deep pockets full of corporate cash to lobby against Dental Therapists. Public Health dentists shouldn’t be doing the bidding of organized dentistry whose aim is to protect dentists’ lucrative monopoly and refuse to be mandated to treat the poor. Instead they are behind virtually every fluoridation mandate in this country.. Public dentists shouldn’t be doing the bidding of private dentists by promoting fluoridation without lobbying in favor of Dental Therapists.
Fluoridation gives the illusion that dentists care about the people who aren’t welcomed in their dental chairs.
Since the 1960’s tooth decay has declined just as much in non-fluoridated districts as in fluoridated ones according to US and WHO statistics. The CDC recognized in 1999 that the action of fluoride is on tooth surfaces and this was confirmed by the National Research Council in 2006. Swallowing fluoride for tooth decay is like swallowing sun block to prevent sunburn–foolish and unhealthy. Put it on your toothbrush and spit it out when you’re finished brushing. The warning on your toothpaste says DO NOT SWALLOW. When water is fluoridated each glass of water or smoothie or cup of coffee is like swallowing a dab of toothpaste. EPA scientists have been calling for an end to fluoridation for a quarter century because it is out of compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, but EPA management refuses to comply. Endorsements are not science. Those claims of 25% reduction and $38 bucks saved are statistical concoctions not supported by the actual data. For a public health dentist, Dr. White is sadly lacking in actual scientific knowledge on this subject.