facts about fluoride
Personally, I try to avoid fluoride altogether - I got it out of my water, and I don't buy toothpaste with it. I've heard all kinds of stories about why it's bad, from studies linking it with cancer to the rumor that fluoride makes you dumb. I'm sure that's a gross oversimplification of the health issues surrounding fluoride, but it got me curious - exactly why is fluoride bad for us? I asked healthy home expert Mary Cordaro to shed some light on the subject.
Fluoride: A Quick Overview By Mary Cordaro
First, fluoride is a huge topic worthy of a whole dissertation! I'll try to provide an overview of the broad issues for you here, but if you'd like to get into the nitty gritty, this summary of some of the research by Dr. Ted Spence, D.D.S on Dr. Joseph Mercola's website is a good place to start. I include highlights from some of the research for you.
A Highly Controversial Substance
While industry paid scientists make claims about the benefits of fluoride, independent research points to its potentially unhealthful effects. These effects are documented in scientific studies, and they include increased cancer and tumor growth (Waldbott/Yiamouyiannis), increased arthritis, disruption of the immune system and DNA repair (Waldbott), genetic damage (Tsutsui, et al), and aging (Yiamouyiannis).
Healthy Until Proven Unhealthy
Like all contaminants in our environment, the burden of proof on whether or not fluoride is truly safe in our drinking water or dentistry products and materials, should be placed on industry. This Precautionary Approach means that until it can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that fluoride is safe for everyone, from the developing fetus to the elderly, it should not be present in water or dental products and materials. The burden of proof, in other words, should be shifted from the public to industry and those who benefit financially from the pervasiveness of fluoride.
Unfortunately, industry currently uses 'risk analysis', based on the average adult male, to determine if a substance is safe or not. This does not account for sensitive populations, long term low-dose chronic exposure, or the combination of fluoride with other substances. As a result, fluoride, like many other potentially harmful substances, is considered safe until independent studies prove it to be harmful.
How To Avoid Fluoride
Until the burden of proof is switched to industry rather than the public, it is important to avoid fluoride exposure in tap water and dental products. For tap water, the most effective and safest method of removal is reverse osmosis. As for the idea that fluoride prevents tooth decay, Dr. Mercola's associate Dr. Ted Spence suggests that good nutrition is a better strategy for maintaining the health of your pearly whites.
The takeaway here is, it has not been proven that fluoride is NOT harmful, and given all the data suggesting that it could be, as well as experiences by doctors working with patients, it's best to err on the side of caution.
References Waldbott, George, MD, Fluoride: The Great Dilemma, 1978, Coronado Press, Lawrence, KS Yaimouyiannis, John, Fluoride: The Aging Factor, 1993, Health Action Press, Delaware Sodium Fluoride-induced Morphological and Neoplastic Transformation Chromosome Aberrations, Sister Chromatid Exchanges, and Unscheduled DNA Synthesis in Cultured Syrian Hamster Embryo Cells, Takeki Tsutsui, Nobuko Suzuki and Manabu Ohmori, Can Res, 44:938-941, 1984 (March).
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I'll be posting the rest of Mary's water filtration advice soon, so stay tuned for more information on that topic! If you're looking for a good fluoride-free toothpaste, check out my previous blog about superhero toothpastes.
What do you Kind Lifers think about fluoride? Do you try to avoid it in your water and dental products?
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42 comments
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I stay away from flouoride. The lady that cleans my teeth thinks I'm crazy. I remember when I was little chewing on those red tablets to see what I needed to brush better. I think if I remember they had flouride in them.
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I know this is a super-old topic, but this is the first time I've ever heard anything bad about flouride! And secretly, I'm kind of happy about it!
My whole life no matter which toothpaste I use (all flouride filled) I gag when I brush my teeth. Turns out I have a flouride sensitivity. The worst part is, sometimes I actually throw up and then have to brush my teeth all over again. People always assume I must be swallowing it, but I swear, just normally brushing my teeth and trying to avoid my tongue as much as possible still makes me gag violently every morning. I never tried going without flouride because I heard it is basically necessary for healthy teeth. Now I'm going to try flouride-free!
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i avoid fluoride AND glycerin in my dental products. the only commercial toothpaste ive found that is fluoride- and glycerin-free is coral white. i also use kiss my face peace soap (but NOT dr bronners, as all or most of them have glycerin in them) and a homemade solid soap i got from a seller on etsy (she was the only one at the time offering a soap that didnt come in only peppermint (allergic), clove, or tea tree - yuck. i got a vanilla, yay!).
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Hi, I would also like to know what is a good water filtration system? My husband and I have been thinking about installing one directly on our faucet, but for now we use a Pur pitcher. The only downfall is that I know it doesn't cut out the fluoride in our water system and that makes me nervous. Please let me know if any of you have any suggestions for a great filter! Thanks!
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Thanks G GUL for your awesome and thorough response! I agree with Alicias post of Dr. Ted Spences suggestion that a healthy diet is a much better approach to avoiding dental decay. Simply put though, it is not the people who are intelligent enough to feed their children a healthy low carb low sugar less cariogenic diet and that provide good oral hygiene for them that we in the dental field are worried about! It is the uneducated parents and low income parents who have no idea what they are doing with their children's oral or overall health that we are worried about, and there are just too many of these instances compared to the previous. Fluoride HELPS these helpless children.
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I could not help but write.... there are several important factors people raised about Fluoride and it was very interesting for me to read all of it since as a pediatric dentist with a public health degree, I have seen so many aspects of this issue.
I understand people's sensitivity and worry about not putting any medicine or any kind to their diet and in to their daily lives, and I have immense admiration to Constance's way of living and raising her child. (and yes if we can take the processed food, and sugar out from our diet and we can go back way before 1600s when there were very few people with dental disease since the Europeans did not introduce sugar or processed food until 1600s ), and if we could make " all organic, no processed food," healthy life style spread around the world, maybe than we can solve the transmissible, infectious dental disease" cavity" problem which is the most common yet treatable disease of childhood.(5 times more common than childhood asthma) . I would love to see no children (starting as young as 2 years old) going to Operating room for full mouth rehabilitation due to their extensive decay(teaching hospitals have a 6 months waiting list ) and have the risk of general anesthesia not only once sometimes twice or more in their lives; I would love to see no kids dying while under sedation, or on the clinic chairs because of the complications of the treatment, or dying in the emergency room because the health care system failed and the simple dental decay -when not treated- can be life threatening. I would love to see numbers of the children with decay go down ) by 17 years of age 78% of children in US experienced caries (AAPD).... I would love to see all people live healthy lifestyles and live longer as they should.... But until then water fluoridation, semi-annual topical fluoride applications(fluoride varnish) are the most important interventions that these kids would have... and there are " evidence based" universally" accepted norms , facts, and research behind this. Thank you.
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Actually Constance, that's not evidence at all:
SkepticalVegan >> Flouride & Heart Disease?
There you have it, the authors of the study we simply seeing if they could use fluorine-18 to image atherosclerosis rather than saying fluorine-18 induced atherosclerosis. But what about sodium fluoride? Sodium fluoride, along with hexafluorosilicic acid and sodium hexafluorosilicate, is used in small quantities to fluoridate water supplies or salt depending on where you live. Fluoridation has rightfully been called one of the most successful and cost-effective public health measures, saving millions of dollars in dental work and preventing untold cavities.
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More evidence...
http://naturalsociety.com/breaking-fluoride-linked-to-1-cause-of-death-in-new-research/
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Like the previous poster I am around the same age and have never had a cavity either- no one in my immediate family has but I will admit its probably got to do with genetics as well as good dental hygene although we ate very little in sweets.
I would like to tell you about the toothpaste that we use- Jack n' Jill http://www.jackandjillkids.com/. Its organic and contains calendula, there is no flouride, sugar or preservatives. Flavours include Banana, Raspberry, Blueberry, Blackcurrant and Strawberry. They also sell compostable toothbrushes!!!
My kids especially love the banana flavour. -
Alicia,
Although I agree that the issue of mass medication, negative heath effects, and right to choose are critical - please do NOT under-value the important effect that this has had on dental health. Dental health is STILL a privilege in this country and dental carries have SERIOUS negative health effects, sequalae, and cost that, I personally, would argue out-weigh the potential risks of low low dose flouridation. Until access to regular preventative dental care and hygiene is a universal right in this country, I believe OFFERING flouride can be a live-saving supplement.
I do agree that it should be a choice with a person knowing the risks and benefits. But please remember that the larger issue of oral health and hygiene is still a serious serious public health issue.
Personally, I grew up on flouride supplements since we had well water. I took them daily for my entire childhood. I practice good oral hygiene daily. I have never had a cavity in my 37 years. I do have some slight permanent yellowing of the teeth that is noticable to no-one but me. Otherwise, I've experienced good health and do not take for granted that I almost never have to think about my teeth.
Thank you for bringing up this important issue!
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The issue of fluoridation is as much about the dangers of this as it is about mass medication. People should have the right to choose what medicines, drugs etc. they want to put in their body.
LewisHarrisonsNaturalHealingAcademy.com
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I just started using Nature's Gate Natural Toothpaste from my own business - it's a natural gel alternative to fluoride toothpaste. Contains no artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives, or animal ingredients. pH-balanced gel has calcium, vitamin c, silica, and natural mint oils.
www.sorenson.mychoices.biz
Offering a discount for all orders placed in January. Let me know if you are interested. I can also discuss with anyone that is interested in how to get wholesale pricing.
-Bec
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FYI - Toms of Maine - Now owned by Colgate a company who test on animals! There are many other companies that do not test on animals who sell fluoride free toothpaste
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Alicia, I'm glad you brought up the fluoride issue up...I have not felt comfortable about using fluoride for years but my dental hygienist kept pushing its virtues on me...finally after doing some research on it, I decided to forgo using it, and I gave up Crest toothpaste and now use Tom's of Maine toothpaste...
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I always pass on the flouride rinse they give at the dentist because it makes me feel nauseous. When I asked why I was told because it's poison and if you swallow the smallest amount it can make you feel ill. Sooo it's ok that dentist's are handing out little cups of poison to patients to rinse their mouth out with? Ummm I don't think so! I avoid it the best I can. the city I live in does not have flouride in the water but there is talk about reintroducing it...I hope they don't!
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@Susan: A great, inexpensive, and flouride free toothpaste option: Tom's of Maine brand has at least 2 or 3 to choose from.
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I just joined this discussion, and website...LOVE IT! Please recommend what toothpaste to use that doesn't have flouride in it? I have been under the belief that having flouride was necessary in our water, toothpaste etc.?? Help!!!
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@Celena Klasnic: I'm offering a magnetic Shower filter system included in a shower hose and -head. It is eventually the best thing you can get on the market currently. Write me a pm if you're interested. 'My' company is Nikken.
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I was just thinking more about this in regards to showers. I really want to get a shower filter so I can 1) Save water and 2) protect my body and lungs from inhaling chemicals from the tap water. Does anyone have a shower filter they love? There are an overwhelming amount of choices and I don't even know where to begin! If anyone has suggestions, please send them my way. Thanks!
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Please remember that if you drink tea that the tea leaves have most likely been rinsed in flouridated water. This means that even if you are buying organic tea it has most likely been rinsed with flouridated water. Flouride is a very tiny molecule and very easily absorbed by living plants and animals. It is very highly toxic and the US is not creating enough and we are now importing some of this poison from China. Just threw in the last sentence to make a point about our government and how the FDA is not protecting us. Grannyk
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Totally agree with you Constance N. I hope your son will embrace very well throughout his entire life.
To those who are not blessed with such a immensely careful breeding: I am offering a high tech water filtration system, that enriches the water with minerals and not like the common reverse osmose only filters it, so you don't get acidified.
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I was SO PSYCHED to see this post - major kudos to Alicia! I've been trying to sound the alarm about fluoride to family & friends for awhile now, and am mostly met with blank stares. One fact I do know about fluoride: it causes acne in many women. In fact, I stopped using fluoride toothpaste and my breakouts have completely disappeared. If I have to use it for any reason, they show up a day later, like clockwork.
I really enjoy the blog The Cellulite Investigation, because it chronicles the blogger's personal battle with fluoroderma (acne caused by fluoride) as well as cellulite, which she believes is a modern problem caused by poor nutrition and the battery of chemicals we ingest daily.
-Natalie, A Dose of the Delightful
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