Look Ma - More Cavities
NYSCOF
New York have more cavities and more fluoride-caused discolored teeth
(dental fluorosis) than children in never-fluoridated Kingston, New
York, according to a New York State Department of Health study.
Kids in Newburgh and Kingston have opened wide for research since 1945
when public health officials first added fluoride to Newburgh's water
supply to prove fluoride reduces childhood cavities. Five years later
this demonstration project helped launch fluoridation throughout the
United States even before children born into the experiment had
permanent teeth.
The Kingston Newburgh study is still cited today as proof that
fluoridation reduces tooth decay. However, the decades have not been
kind to fluoridation.
Tooth decay reductions up to 70% were reported in Newburgh's fluoride
swizzling children -- a figure still sometimes quoted today. Bu todayy,
most of Newburgh's children have more cavities than their
never-fluoridated Kingston counterparts (1) and more dental fluorosis,
report New York State Department of Health dentists Kumar and Green,
New York State Dental Journal, February 1998. Children risk dental
fluorosis without additional decay prevention when optimal fluoride
levels are exceeded, report Kumar and Green. In 1950, 1 milligram daily
from drinking water alone was optimal.
"While fluoridation was the main source in the 1950s, fluoride is
available from many sources today," report Kumar and Green. Besides
dental products, "fruit juices, carbonated beverages, infant formulas,
certain cereals are also known to contain significant amounts of
fluoride and may contribute to the total intake of fluoride," they
report.
"Fluoride is out of control -- whether it prevents cavities or not,"
says Paul Beeber, President and General Counsel, New York State
Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. "Fluoride, the only water supply
additive that treats the person, not the water, is unnecessary and
harmful. Water fluoridation must he stopped or rejected everywhere like
we have done on Long Island, New York, with the help of our
legislators," says Beeber.
"The prevalence of dental flourosis now ranges somewhere between 35%
and 60% in fluoridated communities and between 20% and 45% in
nonfluoridated areas," according to "Trends in Prevalence of Dental
Fluorosis in North America," Community Dental Oral Epidemiology, June
1994.
"Dental fluorosis reflects damage to the growing tooth and is a warning
against providing fluoride systemically (i.e. in the drinking water)
rather than topically, via toothpaste or gel," says Paul Connett,
Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry at St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY.
"If we couple this warning with an ever growing body of peer reviewed
and published research which indicates fluoride's negative impact on
the brain, the pineal gland (responsible for melatonin production) and
the bone (osteosarcoma and hip fracture), our task is not to put more
fluoride into the drinking water but to get it out," says Connett.
Kumar and Green instruct dentists and physicians to prescribe fluoride
therapy based upon patients' total fluoride exposure and that
"caries-free children in fluoridated areas are not likely to benefit
from topical fluorides."
"How can anyone calculate a child's total fluoride exposure," asks Paul
Beeber. "Food and beverage manufacturers aren't required to identify
fluoride content."
The only way to remove embarrassing fluorosis stains is through
bonding, capping or other expensive dental procedures that usually
aren't covered by insurance.
Reference:
(1) Figure 1, Page 41, "Recommendations for Fluoride Use in children"
NYS Dental Journal, February 1998 (NYS Department of Health,
518-474-1961).
New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof
Fluoridation News Releases
http://tinyurl.com/6kqtu
Tooth Decay Crises in Fluoridated Areas
http://www.fluoridenews.blogspot.com/
Fluoride Action Network
http://www.FluorideAction.Net