The Great Fluoride Deception

How fluoride came to be accepted in the United States as a cavity fighter is a story of great marketing deception. To this day, the truth is largely unknown to the general public.

Fluoride's supposedly cavity-fighting ability is supported by many well-intentioned dentists. And who doesn't trust their family dentist--a health professional who has studied for many years?

Fluoride is naturally found in food in trace amounts. But in greater quantities, it is more deadly than arsenic. Fluoride's primary use was as a rat poison!

History

Fluoride is a by-product of two manufacturing processes--the production of chemical fertilizers and the manufacturing of aluminum products.

The manufacturing of pots and pans as well as airplanes and buildings during World War II produced a great deal of fluoride; America also increased its production of chemical fertilizers during this time.

Thousands of pounds of fluoride were created from the non-stop manufacturing process. Disposal of this waste became a matter of great concern.

Manufacturers first attempted to dispose of the fluoride by blowing it out of smokestacks, dumping it into rivers, and burying it in the ground. The results were unanticipated and deadly. Animals including cows died or were deformed within a few miles radius of the smokestacks. Fish died in rivers, and water aquifers were poisoned.

A study conducted by the United States Public Health Service led to the solution. The results of this study were claimed to have reduced tooth decay by 60 percent. The amount of fluoride that was necessary to accomplish this result was claimed to have been one part per million of fluoride in water.

The price of fluoride skyrocketed 1,000 percent almost overnight!

More studies appeared which claimed that water fluoridation reduced the rate of tooth decay over communities which had unfluoridated water. Researchers state that the rate of dental cavities has dropped consistently over the past 30 years--about the time period in which the water was fluoridated.

Studies Are Suspect

On the surface, the studies showing declining dental cavities were a Godsend. However, below the surface results seemed to be contrived.

The original U.S. Public Health study was supposed to compared hundreds of communities; in the end the study included only a few dozen--presumably those which matched the desired fluoridation profile.

In addition to eliminating studies which seemed contrary to the desired outcome, the ones included were themselves flawed. Here's an example. Two Michigan towns were compared for dental cavities. Further investigation revealed that the children in the fluoridated communities came from higher income families, received regular dental checkups, and agreed to brush their teeth twice a day.

Naturally one would expect dental cavities from this community to be lower than children from lower income families who didn't receive regular checkups. As a matter of fact, dental cavities would be lower with and without fluoride.

Other studies show that tooth decay has remained the same for 30 years in Europe and North America for both fluoridated and unfluoridated areas! This is even true for entire European countries that did not have fluoridated water or fluoridated toothpaste.

Rather than the decline being due to fluoride, dental hygiene has gotten better, nutrition has improved, and access to dental care has improved. According to studies, there is a very strong correlation between higher rates of tooth decay and a lower economic status.

If fluoride is so beneficial, why have countries rejected it?

Almost all of Great Britain have stopped fluoridating their water. Australia and New Zealand are reversing their fluoradation policies. New Zealand researchers conducted a study in 1994 of virtually all schoolchildren. It showed that the children did not benefit whatsoever from fluoridation.

The dangers of fluoride

Evidence from no less than eight reputable studies show that drinking fluoridated water increases your risk of hip fractures by 20 to 40 percent. Long-term studies show a clear correlation between fluoridation and bone fractures. Although fluoride does create denser bones, the quality is poor. Since the bone structure is unsound, it is more susceptible to fractures over the long term.

Fluoride is a powerful enzyme inhibitor. Enzymes lining your intestines are particularly at risk. This can cause stomach pain, gas, and bloating. The inhibition of enzymes interferes with thyroid gland function too.

A few studies indicate that fluoride damages your immune system, leading to autoimmune disorders and arthritis. Evidence exists that shows communities with fluoridated water have a greater incidence of heart disease, and higher rates of bone cancer in young men.

Thirty percent of the children in fluoridated communities have fluorosis. This is a malformation of tooth enamel that causes discoloration and brittleness. The damage is permanent. Fluorosis has also been associated with abnormal bone structure.

Fluoride is so prevalent in our food supply that even a normal diet exceeds the recommended amount. But if you drink fluoridated water and brush your teeth wtih fluoridated toothpaste, you clearly ingest an enormous amount.

Toothpaste manufacturers realize the danger of fluoride. That's why you'll find a warning label for children 6 years old and younger. They are to be supervised by an adult so that they don't swallow the deadly poison. This is more easily said than done.

The reflex impulse to swallow is very strong. Even if none is swallowed, fluoride is absorbed through the mucous membranes in the mouth. Fluoridated toothpaste should be avoided by young and old alike.

As far as your municipal drinking water is concerned, only distillation and reverse osmosis are reliable methods to remove fluoride. Other filters work for a short time period because fluoride binds so strongly and quickly to filter materials such as charcoal that the binding sites become fully occupied after a short time.
Fluoridated water is linked to brain damage in children.