I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, fluoride IS a toxic poison. Fluoride added to water supplies is NOT pharmaceutical grade fluoride. Not even close. The negative health affects of consuming fluoride via water fluoridation, fluoride toothpastes, mouthwashes, rinses, fluoride supplements, vitamins etc etc, are well known and proven to be a fact.
Just a few days ago I happened to notice the cover story of a dental magazine by the ADA called “ADA News”, mentioning how a town in Florida had recently voted 3-2 to keep their municipal water supply fluoridated. See it here. What do the two people who voted against continuing adding fluoride to the town’s water supply know about fluoride that the other three do not know or choose to ignore? What about all the people that live in that town? Do the citizens not have a right to choose if they want toxic chemicals forcibly added to their water supply against their consent, and perhaps even without their informed knowledge?
And guess what? The various health “authorities” (The American Dental Association and others) heavily promoting fluoride use on dental patients and the general public know full well that more and more scientists, doctors, dentists, dental hygienists and the general public (YOU) are wising up and realizing they have been lying to you for many years about fluoride and water fluoridation, and are increasing the pressure on dentists and dental staff to increase the promotion of fluoride use and fluoridated water. See the proof here. The Almighty Dollar is at stake.
The TRUST that uninformed and misinformed doctors, dental professionals and consumers have placed in these “authorities” to truly be looking out for the good and well-being of the public is unraveling rapidly, and the once blindly trusted authorities don’t like it one bit. More and more people are becoming aware of the fact that health authorities and government officials have known for a very long time just how toxic and health damaging fluoride truly is. Watch this brief 5 minute film showing how the facts about fluoride’s harmful effects on health have been known and proven for a very long time.
Fluoride and water fluoridation promoters are fighting hard against their opponents, those who are against water fluoridation and fluoride in dental products, etc. However, those in opposition to fluoride are fighting just as hard, if not harder, to inform the public (YOU) to read and research for yourselves WHY fluoride is toxic and why fluoride is harmful and where fluoride REALLY comes from.
Below is another article about the harmful effects of fluoride, written and submitted by Dr. Tom McGuire, who has kindly submitted previous guest articles on the damaging effects of “silver” mercury amalgam fillings.
Introducing Dr. Tom McGuire….
Fluoride is a Poison – How Does Fluoride Affect Health?
Fluoride is a poison and there are those who make a good argument that it is not needed by the body, in any quantity for any reason. The fact that it is found in the body doesn’t mean the body needs it. Mercury is found in the body and everyone knows the body doesn’t need it. Even the fact that it has shown to reduce tooth decay doesn’t mean it isn’t a hazardous substance.
The amount of fluoride that is said to reduce tooth decay is only slightly less, in parts per million, than the amount that causes dental fluorosis, which I speak of later in this article. There is no doubt that it exhibits unwanted side effects in extremely small amounts and sodium fluoride is actually still used as a rat poison.
Since 1997 the FDA requires that all fluoridated toothpaste carry a warning that reads:
Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek PROFESSIONAL HELP or contact a POISON CONTROL center immediately.
In fact, if a small child swallowed the contents of a regular sized tube of fluoridated toothpaste it would most likely be fatal. Parents are also encouraged to use only a pea sized drop of toothpaste for children under six and to make sure it is not swallowed after brushing and rinsing. Of course this isn’t an easy task as toothpaste manufacturers make toothpaste very appealing to children, especially in how it tastes, and children have a built in tendency to swallow everything that tastes good.
Fluoride’s Link to other Diseases
In addition, fluoride has been linked to bone cancer and a debilitating bone disease called skeletal fluorosis, with symptoms ranging from chronic joint pain to hip fractures and bone cancer. Excessive amounts of fluoride can accelerate joint and ligament aging and negatively affect bone growth. What is interesting about this is that early symptoms of fluoride poisoning mimics arthritis, which along with the incidence of hip fractures and bone cancer, has dramatically increased in today’s population. When you realize that exposure to fluoride has dramatically increased from when it was first introduced in the mid-1940’s, those increases are logical. Fluoride has also been shown to negatively affect the health of the:
• Thyroid gland;
• Kidneys;
• Brain and nervous system; and
• Immune system.
Why Add Fluoride to Drinking Water?
The previous section was only a brief description of the side effects of fluoride and as you can see, it isn’t very user friendly. This begs the question that if even small amounts of fluoride are so hazardous to one’s health, why would anyone want to put such a poisonous substance into a public water system?
I believe there are two answers to that question. The first was a well-intended effort to use fluoride as a type of vaccine that prevents tooth decay. I’m sure it sounded like a very noble idea to dentists and local governments at the time it was introduced, but its value and safety has not withstood the test of time—or science.
The second reason is more sinister because it involves finding a use for the large amounts of fluoride that is produced as a by-product of phosphate fertilizer production and aluminum production. I can just hear the marketing department of aluminum manufacturers trying to figure out a way to get rid of this highly poisonous substance and make some money in the process. Promoting it as an anti-decay product by putting it into municipal water systems was just the kind of profitable solution they were looking for. This group has always been a proponent of water fluoridation.
Fluoride and Tooth Decay
I wouldn’t be so critical of water fluoridation if fluoride wasn’t a poison and if it actually prevented tooth decay. But it is a poison and it doesn’t prevent tooth decay. It may reduce it in some people but it doesn’t prevent it. In addition, once the enamel crowns of the teeth has formed, usually by the age of 15, fluoridated water ceases to have a value in preventing tooth decay. Thus, any amount of fluoride you ingest is unnecessary and depending on how much water you take in, potentially a health hazard.
I also wouldn’t be so critical of fluoride use if everyone had a choice and it wasn’t forced upon people via their water supply. This takes on even more significance when you realize it serves no purpose after the age of 15, yet you are still forced to drink it—unless you choose to install a filter or buy purified water.
The only area where I feel fluoride has a value in preventing decay while eliminating its exposure to the body is dentally applied topical fluoride treatments. But with the advent of dental sealants to help reduce decay you now have another choice.
Fluoride: What it’s Supposed to Do and What it Actually Does
The difference in the amount of fluoride in the water that could reduce decay and the amount that could cause fluorosis (a disease of the teeth where excessive fluoride causes staining, brittle enamel, and enamel pitting called mottling) is extraordinarily small. For example, if:
• The amount of fluoride in the water exceeds 0.7 to 1.2 parts per million (The lower amount is used in hotter climates where people tend to drink more water and the higher in cooler climates where less water is consumed.);
• You drink lots of water (which many people do, especially active people);
• You drink higher quantities of water during the short period of time that the enamel of your permanent teeth is forming; from about the age of 2 to 15; and
• You receive fluoride from any other source, such as vegetables and sea food; then
You could develop fluorosis.
What Fluoride Doesn’t Do for You
You will have a decent chance of reducing tooth decay if you had ideal amounts of fluoride during the time the tooth’s enamel was forming. That’s the good news. (Keep in mind that the most vulnerable area of the tooth to decay is the grooves of the back teeth; et this is the area that fluoride provides the least protection to.)
But if:
• Fluoride in the water exceeds 1.2 parts per million;
• You drink more water than is considered average, such as what you’d drink on a hot day, or what an athlete would drink;
• Consume fruits and vegetables grown in areas where the natural water content of fluoride is high or the water is fluoridate; and
• You received extra fluoride from mouth washes, toothpaste, vitamins, or other sources; then
You will most likely experience fluorosis and other side affects of fluoride poisoning.
Fluorides Will Not Prevent Gum Disease
The truth is that fluoride doesn’t do anything to prevent gum disease and gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss; not decay as most people believe. Even if you received exactly the right amount of fluoride, over the right period of time, and you experienced reduced tooth decay; you would still have to properly brush your gums to prevent gum disease.
So it doesn’t matter whether or not the water is fluoridated, you have to brush and floss your teeth in the same way, and just as often, to prevent gum disease as to prevent decay. Of course while you are taking care of your gums you would also be prevent tooth decaying, even if your water wasn’t fluoridated. The difference being that you can still effectively prevent all forms of dental disease if you have a sound oral hygienie program, but without risking the side effects of fluoride poisoning.
Even a Little Fluoride is Too Much Fluoride
It should be noted that people today are exposed to greater quantities of fluoride than they were 25 years ago. Twenty-five years ago, the major source of fluoride exposure was fluoridated water. Today, it is also found in mouthwash, toothpaste, rinses, tablets, and even vitamins. There is evidence that shows fluorosis has shown up in areas where the water isn’t fluoridated. I’ve no doubt that this is because they are receiving excessive amounts of fluoride from other sources mentioned above.
Thus the potential for fluoride poisoning has dramatically increased. The real problem we are facing is that no one knows how much fluoride each individual is getting. One person may drink 8 glasses of fluoridated water a day, brush with fluoridated toothpaste, and use fluoridated mouthwash. Another could drink 2 glasses of water and not use any other fluoridated dental products. As you can see, the variations are wide-ranging. Also keep in mind that if your water is fluoridated you will receive fluoride from the water used to make soups, tea, coffee, ice, and any other use of water in food preparation.
Another indirect source of fluoride is fruits and vegetables grown with fluoridated water. There is no way of knowing how much fluoride you may be getting from this source. In addition, hundreds of thousands of pounds of fluoride enter the ecology from water runoff containing fluoride. Each year it adds more and more fluoride to the ecosystem, poisoning live stock, lakes and waterways.
Is Fluoride a Health Hazard?
The answer to that question is is a big YES! Fluoride toxicity is definitely something to be aware of, especially in communities where the water is fluoridated or high levels of it are found naturally in the water. My suggestion is that if you’ve eliminated gum disease and mercury as contributor to any existing health problem, and your physician cannot seem to find the find the cause, you should check to see if your water contains fluoride and suggest he or she consider it as a potential cause.
There is no doubt that fluoride is a poison in very small amounts and for some it can be a serious health hazard and although it does relate to teeth, it’s not really an oral health issue. I see it as a public health issue, as the majority of fluoride you will be exposed to is delivered to the individual via the municipal water systems. Regardless of how it is delivered, fluoride is a poison, and increasing evidence suggests it can create, or contribute, to health problems.
What you have read here will serve to introduce you to the subject of fluoride and if you feel you would like to learn more about this subject, Tooth Fitness: Your Guide to Healthy Teeth covers fluoride in greater detail. It details the pros and cons of fluoride use and addresses all of the controversial aspects of this still controversial subject.
[Dr. Tom resides in Sebastopol, CA and is the author of the best-selling books, Healthy Teeth—Healthy Body: How to Improve Your Oral and Overall Health, The Poison in Your Teeth: Mercury Amalgam Fillings . . . Hazardous to Your Health, and Mercury Detoxification: The Natural Way to Remove Mercury from Your Body. He is a leading authority on mercury amalgam silver fillings, chronic mercury poisoning, mercury detoxification, and holistic dental wellness. Dr. Tom specializes in patient education and is available for phone consultations about topics within his area of expertise. He has the largest and most visited website of its kind, with over 350 pages of information. His website, www.dentalwellness4u.com has the largest database of mercury-free and mercury-safe dentists available on the Internet. You can contact his office at 1-800-335-7755.]
