Fluoride is a naturally occurring element in mineral-rich
water. Can we be confident, then, that
it must be good for us, at least in some measure like other minerals our body
uses? Maybe. But then the question becomes, how much is
good, and how much is too much… and who really knows enough about it to start
messing with nature’s balance?
This, I think, is what has happened with the fluoride
discovery. Discovery! Remember that quote from Jurassic Park where
the esteemed John Hammond arrogantly declares, “How can we stand in the light
of discovery, and not act?” And Dr.
Ellie Stattler counters with, “Well the question is, how can you know anything
about an extinct ecosystem?” I would go
one step further and say, how can we know enough
about ANY ecosystem to be able to say with assurance that we know how best to alter it?
This is government interference at its worst – when it decides that something
is good for us.
Scientists are still trying to figure out how the human
body works, with its millions of interconnected and interrelated systems. The deeper they go into the cellular level
the more they discover that there's so much more they don’t know!
And yet, at the drop of a hat, our politicians will jump on any scientific bandwagon
that suits their fancy at the moment, dump money into a few years of research, and then create
a government policy that usually involves a political payback to their favorite
lobbyist. And before you know it… wah lah!
The science is settled!
Once that happens, no amount of research to the contrary
will be entertained. Nobody wants to
admit that they spent all those hard-earned tax dollars on a faulty premise, or
a policy that turns out to be actually harmful to the public.
Such is the case with fluoride. Here is an eye-opening article on fluoride
worth reading: Fluoride: Deadly Poison? History & Dangers of Fluoride,
which discusses how it came about that this dubious substance should be added
to our water supply. Now approximately
66% of the USA has fluoridated public water and some bottled water is
fluoridated as well, compared to 2% in Western Europe. Fluoride may also be present in bottled or
canned drinks, including soft drinks, beers, and energy drinks when those
drinks are manufactured in areas where there is fluoride in the public water
system. Fluoride, like other minerals
can also be absorbed through the skin while bathing.
However, the question still persists – is it really as
bad as the detractors say? The American
Dental Association still insists that fluoride is the dental miracle of the 20th
century. According to WebMD, the most
important ingredient to look for when choosing toothpaste is fluoride, calling
it a “dental-friendly” mineral. And, of
course, the CDC and other government agencies continue to tout its benefits.
But here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding
where you stand on the matter. From
FluorideAlert.org, “Though fluoride is best known as the chemical added to
drinking water and toothpaste to prevent dental decay, it can also cause a
variety of harmful ailments, including one that puts brown stains on teeth and
may make them brittle and crumbly. The amount of fluoride added to drinking
water to prevent tooth decay is about the same as the amount that can cause
moderate staining.”
I don’t know about
you, but all four of my children’s adult teeth developed that off-colored
tea-stained look, though we never knew why.
Too much fluoride? Could be. This is a condition called dental fluorosis. Children are prone to the condition since
they tend to swallow the toothpaste when they brush, rather than spit it out. There is also some research to suggest that the
levels of fluoride in toothpaste may be sufficient to cause or contribute to
periodontal bone loss.
Perhaps this is why, no matter how much we brush our
teeth, we still get cavities!
My interest in fluoride developed recently in response to
a rash that developed around my mouth over a period of a few months, the cause of
which I suspected to be a change in toothpaste. I had switched from Crest 3D White to Colgate
Optic White. I still don’t know for a
fact that the rash has been caused by fluoride (since both brands have about
the same amount), but studies have shown that hypersensitive individuals may develop canker sores and
skin rashes in and around the mouth from fluoride. Another problem I’d developed was sensitivity
in my teeth to heat and cold. This can be attributed
to an ingredient in tartar-control toothpaste, called sodium pyrophosphate, which
controls tartar by removing calcium and magnesium from saliva (not sure that’s
a good thing). It is known to cause
teeth to become hypersensitive to temperature extremes – especially cold.
One of the reasons I was drawn to a whitening toothpaste
is my coffee habit -- and those annoying coffee stains. Colgate Optic White
contains hydrogen peroxide, the same hydrogen peroxide you probably have lurking under your sink in that brown
bottle you picked up at the drug store for $1.75. Save yourself some
money and bleach your own teeth using a solution of equal parts 3% hydrogen
peroxide and water as a mouthwash. Or
you can dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide with water, dip your toothbrush in it and
brush your teeth. Either method will
require multiple applications to see a whitening affect, but after all, so does the toothpaste. (By the way, this should not be done if you have gum
disease or other dental problems.)
More recent studies show that fluoride’s primary benefit
is in its topical application rather than in water or toothpastes and rinses. Do we really need fluoride to have healthy teeth or is it just another toxic chemical we should avoid if we can? My personal choice was to give up the fluoride toothpaste and go organic. I found a tasty fluoride-free brand at my natural foods store for about the same price as the Crest and Colgate whitening brands. If you live in a fluoride water zone, a good reverse osmosis water filter will get rid of the fluoride from your drinking water. Otherwise, there's always the Culligan Man.
For more information about flouride:
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