Ingested Fluoride Needless; Children Dangerously Overdosed, Studies Show
NYSCOF
cavities, according to prominent dental researchers who also report
that many children ingest too much fluoride that can actually decay
teeth and damage bones.
"Current evidence strongly suggests that fluorides work primarily by
topical means through direct action on the teeth and dental plaque.
Thus ingestion of fluoride is not essential for caries (cavity)
prevention," report Warren and Levy in Dental Clinics of North
America, April 2003.(1)
Fluoride, swallowed from water, foods & supplements or absorbed from
toothpaste, can create fluorosed (discolored) and, in severe cases,
brittle teeth.
"There has been an increase in the prevalence of fluorosis," reports
Steven Levy, DDS, Professor, University of Iowa, in the Journal of the
Canadian Dental Association.(2) Yet, cavities in toddlers' teeth are
still a problem(3). "With more severe forms of fluorosis, caries risk
increases because of pitting and loss of the outer enamel," writes
Levy.
Levy, also Principle Investigator of the ongoing Iowa Fluoride Study,
measures children's fluoride intake, food and beverage fluoride levels,
and relates it to fluorosis, cavities and bone development.
"At low levels of chronic exposure such as with optimally fluoridated
water, fluoride appears to slightly increase trabecular bone mass ...,"
writes Levy and Warren.
Other researchers report fluoride thickens but weakens bones (4).
90% of 3-month-olds, Levy studied, consumed over their recommended 0.01
mg daily-fluoride-dose from water, supplements and/or dentifrice. Some
babies ingest over 6 mg fluoride daily, above the level the
Environmental Protection Agency says causes crippling skeletal
fluorosis (5).
"There is no specific nutritional requirement for fluoride...given the
increased prevalence of fluorosis, it may be necessary to revise
downward the adequate intake levels for fluoride," write Levy and
Warren.
"The optimal level of fluoride intake is not known with certainty,"
writes Levy.
"Total fluoride intake is the true fluorosis risk factor However, this
is very difficult to quantify," writes Levy who found:
· 77% of soft drinks had fluoride levels greater than 0.60 ppm (or
0.60 mg in approximately one quart)
· Two ounces daily baby chicken food provides their maximum dose
· Children's specially-flavored toothpaste increases fluoride
ingestion
· Soy-based infant formulas deliver more fluoride than milk-based
· Other foods high in fluoride are teas, dry infant cereals, dried
chicken, fish and seafood products
· Fluoridated water added to powdered concentrate ups fluorosis risk
· Grape juices, especially white, contain very high fluoride levels
· 42% of all tested juices and juice drinks had fluoride levels
greater than 0.6 ppm
· Fluoride supplements are generally not recommended
· Cereals processed in a fluoridated area contained from 3.8 to 6.3
ppm fluoride
"Water supplies may be fluoride-deficient; but there's no evidence
that children are fluoride-deficient," says lawyer Paul Beeber,
President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. "It's time
to treat the patient and not his water glass," says Beeber "Lack of
dental care is the oral health crises organized dentistry should be
solving. Without dentists, most of us would be missing teeth and living
in pain - no matter how much fluoride we eat and drink."
Oral Health America gives the U.S. a dismal oral health grade of C (6).
This, despite almost 60 years of water fluoridation and its "halo"
effect into non-fluoridated communities, despite fluoridated
toothpaste becoming a billion dollar industry, despite hidden fluoride
in food, and despite fluoride in many dental products, medicines and
air pollution.
And poor oral health is still a significant health problem for young
people entering the military like it was in World War II, when fluoride
was just a twinkle in the dentist's eye
Adequate daily intake of fluoride from all sources, in order to avoid
moderate fluorosis, which the ADA describes as "All tooth surfaces
affected; marked wear on biting surfaces; brown stain may be
present"(7) :
· infants up to 6 months old - less than 0.01 mg
· babies from 6 - 12 months - less than 0.5 mg
· children from 1 to 3 years old - less than 0.7 mg
· children from 4 to 8 years old - less than 1 mg
Another study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry(8). by Fein and Cerklewski found:
· A single serving (71 g or 2.5 ounces) of mechanically separated
pureed chicken baby food contained 0.6 mg fluoride.
· A single jar (71g) of chicken sticks could provide 0.4 mg of
fluoride,
· One serving (71g) of luncheon meat containing mechanically
separated chicken could provide as much as 0.45 mg of fluoride for a
child.
"A desirable level of fluoride intake could, therefore, be exceeded on
a recurring basis when combined with other sources of fluoride intake
such as fluoridated water, foods made with fluoridated water, and
swallowing of fluoridated toothpaste." write authors, Fein and
Cerklewski.
University of Indiana researchers found fluoride in McDonald's french
fries, Aunt Millie's Homestyle Buttermilk White Bread, Iron Kids Bread,
Lay's Baked and Ruffles potato chips, Heinz and Hunt's Ketchup, 12
different soda brands and fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, dairy
products, nuts, seeds, fats, oils, sugars and sweets (9)
More information on fluoride food content can be found here:
http://64.177.90.157/science/html/f-_in_food.html
References:
(1) "Current and future role of fluoride in nutrition," Warren & Levy,
Dental Clinics of North America 47(2003)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12699229&dopt=Abstract
(2) "An Update on Fluorides and Fluorosis," Levy, Journal of the
Canadian Dental Association, May 2003
http://www.cda-adc.ca/jcda/vol-69/issue-5/286.pdf
(3) News Release "Iowa Fluoride Study marks 10 years of studying
children's dental health," Dec. 11, 200l
http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2001/december/1211fluoride-study.html
(4) http://www.slweb.org/fluoride-bone.html
(5) http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/drinking/standards/dwstandards.pdf
(6) http://www.oralhealthamerica.org/Report%20Card.htm
(7) http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/facts/tables.asp#table3
For more information, contact:
Paul S. Beeber
President & General Counsel
New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation
PO Box 263
Old Bethpage, NY 11804
nys...@aol.com
Web site: