NEW YORK, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Fluoride Action
Network (FAN) charges the American Dental Association (ADA) with
circulating false and misleading information in its newsletter (8/15)
that
expressed concern over professional "opposition to community water
fluoridation."(1)

    ADA misrepresented important findings in the 2006 National
Research
Council (NRC)(2) report and trivialized the significance of the dental
fluorosis epidemic afflicting American children (CDC, 2005).

    "We don't understand why the ADA won't deal honestly with the
science
that caused 600 professionals to urge fluoridation be ended,"(3) says
Paul
Connett, PhD, FAN Director.

    The ADA says the NRC report is not relevant to water fluoridation,
but,
according to its website, made this statement before it had reviewed
the
report. In March, 2006 it wrote: "Additional information will appear
on
ADA.org after the report has been reviewed"(4) but no further
information
has appeared.

    Connett says, "The ADA assessment is totally superficial, in
contrast
to statements from three NRC panel members who wrote important
chapters in
the report."

    Kathleen Thiessen, PhD says, "I have become increasingly convinced
that
deliberate exposure of a large fraction of the U.S. population ... to
uncontrolled and unmonitored intake of fluoride in their drinking
water is
unwise at best, and probably harmful to a substantial number of
people."(5)

    Hardy Limeback, PhD, DDS, writes, " ... it is obvious that the
benefit
of fluoridation is next to nil. ... I am even more convinced that
fluoride
should be banned as a systemic drug (which includes water
fluoridation)
..."(6)

    Robert L. Isaacson, PhD adds, "The health of the entire country is
at
risk as long as fluoridation of the drinking water remains
uncurbed."(6)

    The ADA claims that dental fluorosis, which now impacts 32% of
American
children, is "so slight that only trained professionals can notice
it."

However, very mild fluorosis affects up to 25% of tooth surfaces and
mild
up to 50%(7). The CDC reports that 4% of children have moderate or
severe
fluorosis(8), in which all tooth surfaces are affected, frequently
with
brown staining and sometimes pitting.

    "These categories are easy to identify and can result in
psychological
harm," says Connett. "We urge citizens to sign the ONLINE MESSAGE
calling
for an end to fluoridation and Congressional hearings at:
http://www.FluorideAction.net."

    References:

    (1)
    http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?art...

    (2) http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11571

    (3) http://www.fluoridealert.org/statement.august.2007.html

    (4) http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/fluoride_report_response.pdf

    (5) http://www.fluoridealert.org/thiessen-letter.pdf

    (6) http://www.fluorideaction.org/statement.quotes.aug.2007.pdf

    (7) http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/facts/fluoridation_facts.pdf

    (8) http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/figures/s403a1t23.gif

SOURCE Fluoride Action Network  http://www.FluorideAction.Net