What is “fluoridated” water?
90% of water fluoridation schemes use hydrofluosilic acid (HFSA) or silico fluoride (SiF). Both HFSA and SiF are carcinogenic industrial wastes that are chemical byproducts of aluminum, steel, cement, phosphate, and nuclear weapons manufacturing. City water fluoridation protocols add 6.8 ppm of HFSA into the drinking water to achieve the “recommended” 1 ppm fluoride concentration. Why does it take 6.8 ppm of HFSA to get 1 ppm of fluoride? The answer is that HFSA not only contains fluoride but also arsenic, lead, cadmium, and radio-isotopes.
Is fluoride in my toothpaste, my teenager’s prescription fluoride toothpaste, my child’s prescription fluoride supplement, and the city water supply good ways to effectively reduce tooth decay?
The natural form of fluoride found in your teeth is apatite (calcium fluoro-chloro-hydroxyl phosphate). Inside your mouth there occurs a natural balance between hydroxyl-apatite (calcium phosphate) de-mineralizing and re-mineralizing of your tooth enamel from substances that occur naturally in your saliva. When things get out of balance (too much acid, too much sugar, suppressed immune system, overgrowth of bacteria, etc.) the scale tips and you have more de-mineralization, which eventually destroys the surface of the enamel beyond what your body can repair. You “officially” have a cavity.
The efficacy of TOPICAL fluoride application (toothpastes, rinses, varnishes, etc.) in re-mineralizing tooth enamel has been well documented. The topical affect of fluoride is recognized on the web pages of the ADA www.ada.org, CDC www.cdc.gov, and USDA www.usda.gov. The question that has not been answered is how much fluoride is being absorbed by the oral tissues and/or swallowed during daily use…and is this cumulative amount enough to tip over into toxicity? The jury is still out on this.
The systemic effect of fluoride (ingesting fluoride via water, food, fluoride supplements) has not been recognized. Dr. Featherstone (University of San Francisco Dental School) published an article in JADA 2000 where he concluded that the level of fluoride in the saliva or incorporated into the enamel from ingesting fluoridated water is insufficient to have a measurable impact on tooth decay. The CDC concluded in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 8/17/01 that “the prevalence of dental caries in a population is not inversely related to the concentration of fluoride in enamel, and a higher concentration of enamel fluoride is not necessarily more efficacious in preventing dental caries.” It has been shown in a 2001 study in the International Journal of Pediatric Dentistry that South African children who drank water containing high levels of natural fluoride (3 ppm) had more tooth decay than children in other parts of South Africa who drank much lower concentrations (between 0.19 to 0.48 ppm). Our fluoride saturated American teenagers had twice the rate of cavities as the South African children drinking low levels of natural fluoride.
The laboratory and epidemiologic research that has led to the better understanding of how fluoride prevents dental caries indicated that fluoride’s predominant effect is post-eruptive and TOPICAL… “and a 2000 report from the New York Department of Health found that after 55 years of fluoridation, the children of Newburgh (fluoridated community) had no difference in tooth decay rates than those of Kingston (non-fluoridated community). These are just a handful of hundreds of studies showing no appreciable connection between systemic fluoride and reduction in tooth decay.
Is fluoride safe?
All sources of fluoride intake are cumulative. Some of the most common ways fluoride is introduced into your body are through air, tap water, bottled water (some contain 8 ppm), toothpastes, mouth rinses, beverages, processed foods, teas, etc. (Froot Loops (2.1 ppm), Gerber 100% Grape Juice (6.8 ppm), Wheaties (10 ppm), Coca-Cola (1 ppm)). Too much fluoride or the inability to adequately remove fluoride from the body can lead to unwanted side effects and disease.
Fluoride contributes to the systemic inhibition of enamel matrix proteinases (enzymes) which are integral in enamel formation. The result is dental fluorosis. A 1997 National Institute of Dental Research study revealed that 66% of children in fluoridated communities have one tooth affected with dental fluorosis and 30% have two or more affected teeth. Keep in mind that there is enough fluoride in one tube of fluoridated toothpaste to potentially kill two small children. The American Academy of Pediatrics revised their recommendations stating that “infants receiving substantial quantities of infant formula generally should not use powder or liquid concentrate if water fluoride levels are near optimal or above, since the water-fluoride alone might exceed total, recommended daily levels.”
Fluoride intake has also been linked to:
- skeletal fluorosis
- oral dysplasia
- cancer (osteosarcomas, hepatocholangiocarcinomas, thyroid adenomas)
Dr. William Hirzy, an EPA Scientist, stated in 1997 that “our member’s review of the body of evidence over the last eleven years, including animal and human epidemiological studies, indicated a causal link between fluoride/fluoridation and cancer, genetic damage, neurological impairment and bone pathology. Of particular concern are the recent epidemiological studies linking fluoride exposures to lower IQ in children.” This phenomenon of lower IQ of fluoridated children may be due to the synergistic effects of fluoride and lead. Many countries have not allowed or have stopped fluoridation (Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, France, Italy and Norway) due to concerns over the health risks of excess fluoride.
Is fluoride approved by the FDA?
Fluoride is not FDA approved. By 1975 the Food and Drug Administration had rejected 35 new drug applications for fluoride/vitamin combinations because “There is no substantial evidence of drug effectiveness as prescribed, recommended, or suggested in labeling.” In 1999 and 2000, there was a congressional investigation into the controversy of fluoridation. When directly asked if fluoride is a drug subject to regulation the FDA replied that:
“Any substance used to prevent, treat, ameliorate a disease of man or animal is a drug subject to regulation by the FDA.”
“No fluoride containing substance has ever been approved for the purpose of ingestion to treat or prevent tooth decay.”
“At the present time there are no new drug applications on file.”
Is fluoride approved by the EPA?
The EPA has denied setting fluoridation standards. They have set only maximum contaminant levels and stated that public water fluoridation was a program of the USPHS (U.S. Public Health Services). The EPA also does not regulate the additives used to fluoridate water. According to the EPA, this is the jurisdiction of the American Water Works Association (AWWA, a trade association). When asked by Congress in 2000 to supply information on the additives, the AWWA responded that they “have no data.” Yet the AWWA has approved the use of raw, untreated hazardous waste from the phosphate mining industry (HFSA/SiF) which is contaminated with arsenic, lead, cadmium and other toxic agents to be used as fluoridating agents. When Congressman Ken Calvert asked the EPA for studies on the safety of utilizing HFSA/SiF, they were unable to identify ANY safety studies of HFSA/SiF used to fluoridate our drinking water.