Fluoride Controversy

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Fluoride Controversy

Written by Carina Harkin BHSc.Nat. BHSc.Acu. BHSc.Hom

Medicating the Masses
Water plays a vital role I contributing to our overall health, fitness and life expectancy. Longevity is not geographic, however, linked to a clean drinking water supply. Water fluoridation is a controversial technique whereby fluoride is added to the public water supply because of the purported dental health benefits. But what exactly is fluoride and where does it come from?

Naturally occurring fluoride
Calcium fluoride is an organic or naturally occurring mineral found in all water sources, such as lakes, rivers, groundwater and oceans. As it is natural it has many health benefits such as improving the strength of teeth enamel, veins and the overall elasticity of tissues. Calcium fluoride is prescribed homoeopathically for these and other symptoms. During tooth development, fluoride binds to the hydroxyapatite crystals present in enamel and makes the enamel more resistant to demineralization by acids.
Flouride in water – Where is it from?
Water fluoridation involves artificially adjusting fluoride levels in drinking water supplies by adding inorganic compounds such as sodium fluoride, sodium fluorosilicate, or fluorosilicic acid. These are not naturally occurring. They are arguably, not only not beneficial to health, but are actually detrimental. This fluoride is a waste product of “Big Industry”.

Flousilicic acid
Fluosilicic acid is the most corrosive chemical agent known to man. It is derived from toxic gases produced in the manufacture of phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilizers. The fluosilicic acid is recovered from chimney pollution scrubbers as a substance known as scrubber liquor. It contains lead, mercury, arsenic, and high concentrations of radionucleides, hence it is radioactive. It is the most widely used chemical agent for water fluoridation in the United States. The form of fluoride added to Irish drinking water is also fluosilicic acid.

Why do they say it’s good for us?
In the 1940s, four widely-cited studies were conducted. The researchers investigated cities that had both fluoridated and unfluoridated water. The research found a decrease in the incidence of tooth decay in cities which had added fluoride to water supplies. Since these results were published, fluoride has gained acceptance in the scientific community as potentially beneficial to oral health, and various governments throughout the world have fluoridated water. This major research was conducted over 60 years ago and there have been many other studies that demonstrate fluoride may not be beneficial.

The big argument for water fluoridation say that fluoridation is similar to fortifying salt with iodine, milk with vitamin D and orange juice with vitamin C and say it is effective to prevent tooth decay for both children and adults. Ideally though, food shouldn’t need fortifying. A wholefood is naturally nutritionally complete and does not have to be adulterated to be improved. The dail is currently debating whether or not to put folic acid into flour. It is only refined white flour that needs folic acid added to it, so why not just eat wholewheat flour? Water, in its purest form does not need additives. Mother Nature has provided us with the perfect package.

What are the problems with adding fluoride?

The image is of a mild case of fluorosis. Notice the faint white mottling

The main arguments against fluoridation is that overexposure to fluoride can lead to dental fluorosis. This is a condition of faint white mottling on the teeth. In more severe cases, there may be brown stains. It usually affects the permanent teeth but occasionally the primary teeth may be involved. This condition outweighs the alleged benefits of water fluoridation as there is pitting or mottling of tooth enamel.

Ethics
Other opponents against fluoridation claim that releasing fluoride compounds into municipal water supplies takes away individual choice that a person has as to which substances they ingest. This amounts to compulsory mass medication as it does not allow proper consent. Because of the negative health effects of fluoride exposure, mandatory fluoridation of public water supplies is both unethical and a human rights violation.

In Ryan v. Attorney General (1965), the Supreme Court of the Republic of Ireland held that water fluoridation did not infringe the plaintiff's right to bodily integrity. However, the court found that such a right to bodily integrity did exist, despite the fact that it was not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution of Ireland, thus establishing the doctrine of unenumerated rights in Irish constitutional law. Stand up for your rights! Voice your concerns to your local representatives.

Serious health concerns
Many people are opposed to the fluoridation of drinking water and say that many negative health effects are associated with water fluoridation, despite the current stance of the medical and dental communities

There is research which supports that fluoride causes chromosomal damage and interferes with DNA repair. Animal studies demonstrate that rats fed for one year with 1 ppm fluoride in their water had detrimental changes to their kidneys and brains, an increased uptake of aluminium in the brain, and the formation of beta amyloid deposits, as seen in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, it is argued that fluoride can weaken the immune system, leaving people susceptible to the development of cancer.
Lining the pockets of “big industry”
Some suggest water fluoridation is part of a scheme to dispose of a toxic industrial by-product that is essentially expensive to dispose of.

Tooth decay is on the rise
Fluoridating water is unnecessary and ineffective as, in the instances that fluoride prevents tooth decay, the effects are merely topical. Direct applications of fluoride to teeth as done in dental offices and fluoridated toothpastes should be the recommended method only.

No doubt, dental decay continues to exist in our water fluoridated community. Of course, if fluoride was effective, there would be no tooth decay. The irony is, is that the lower socio-economic groups that may benefit the most from fluoridinated water are inflicted with baby bottle tooth decay (BBTD). Breast is best hey?

The prevalence of dental decay is increasing in both Western Europe and the United States. Countries, including Canada, the former East Germany, Cuba, and Finland that had water fluoridation, noticed that when they removed fluoride from the water supplies they continued to see drops in the incidence of tooth decay.

As fluorides’ role in strengthening tooth enamel is only active during tooth development, therefore, if fluoride has any benefit at all, then why it necessary to have it forced upon us after our teeth are fully developed?
There is in fact little difference in tooth decay rates among children in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities.

What can we do?
Use a water filter that removes fluoride and all the other negatives things in our water supply. Our town water supply includes not only additives such as fluoride and chlorine but as a result of industry includes pesticides, heavy metals and more worryingly synthetic oestrogens that are linked to many cancers such as breast, ovarian and prostate cancer, the biggest killers of men and women.

Fluoride is the most difficult additive to remove from the water. Not all water filters remove fluoride and you must check with the manufacturer direct. The Vitali water solution has been modified to remove fluoride.

Look out in Natures Nexus for future articles on other additives in the water such as chlorine and PCPs, synthetic oestrogens. If you would like to book an appointment with Carina call. 085 783 7829 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Carina is Director of Studies and lecturer at The College of Naturopathic Medicine Galway and a mother of five. Remember, enjoy your food life and your water life!

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