Fluoride Dangers (part II)

Last week, Erin wrote an article on the dangers of fluoride and some of you asked great questions.  Here are her responses; they are helpful and we thought more people would want to read them.

Where can I get clean water?
• Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtration system.  The ones that install under your sink cost around $150 from Lowe's.  If you or hubby are handy, then you can probably install it yourselves.  Always double check the specs to make sure it removes fluoride (and any other contaminants you want removed).
• Whole Foods - there's a water system/machine at the front of the store.  A gallon is $0.39 - bring your own container.
• Walmart Supercenter – most have a Culligan water system (reverse osmosis plus carbon filter) at the back of the store near the bottled water.  It's $0.37 per gallon if you bring your own container, but they also have containers available for an additional fee.  I'm not sure I completely trust Walmart to properly maintain these machines. :)
• Distilled water - you can purchase it at almost any grocery store.  I've seen conflicting information about the safety of drinking distilled water, so do your research.
• Several brands of bottled water use reverse osmosis filtration.  Read labels.  I know Aquafina and Nestle's Pure Life use RO.  I personally avoid bottled water because of the chemicals in the plastic and the excess waste it creates.
• Natural springs: FindaSpring.com will tell you if there is a natural spring in your area.  The benefit is that the water will contain naturally occurring minerals.

Keep in mind that reverse osmosis and distillation also remove all the helpful minerals from the water, so you might consider a supplement of some kind.

So why is fluoride the darling of the dental profession and various other entities?
This is a complicated question.

I always say, “follow the money.”  The aluminum and fertilizer companies are the first ones to benefit from it since they can sell their toxic waste for profit instead of using costly means to dispose of it properly.  I think the dental profession also stands a lot to lose if fluoride is exposed for what it is.  They will look very foolish at best and downright dishonest at worst.  Can anyone say “lawsuit?”

According to Paul Connett, PhD, “fluoridation provides a convenient cover for many of the interests which stand to profit from the public being misinformed about fluoride.” These include:

• The failure of one of the richest countries in the world to provide decent dental care for poor people.
• The failure of 80% of American dentists to treat children on Medicaid.
• The failure of the public health community to fight the huge over consumption of sugary foods by our nation's children, even to the point of turning a blind eye to the wholesale introduction of soft drink machines into our schools. Their attitude seems to be if fluoride can stop dental decay why bother controlling sugar intake.

The following excerpts are from an open letter on fluoridation by dentist Debra Hopkins from Washington.  I think it is very helpful in clarifying the issue:

“Dentists that support water fluoridation do so based on information they have received from local and national dental organizations such as the Washington State Dental Association and the American Dental Association.  These dentists are unaware of the controversy surrounding the issue because the ADA says there is no controversy. These dentists are unaware of the opposing scientific views because the ADA says it is all "junk science". These dentists are also unaware that the chemical put in drinking water is not sodium fluoride but hydrofluorosilicic acid .”

“Indeed, the subject of tooth decay in poor children in Pierce County is an embarrassing one for the dental profession. But, instead of dealing with the real issues, dentists and our public health officials prefer to pour fluoride in the water. They pat themselves on the back and pretend they are doing something for poor children. At the same time, they have totally failed to fight the huge over-the-counter consumption of sugar containing foods by young children to the point of allowing the introduction of soda pop and candy machines into our public schools. Dentists make no attempt to educate poor families on the value of good nutrition. Over 80% of the dentists do not accept medical coupons, so the poor have almost no access to dental care. This is due to the fact that the State of Washington has an oppressive system for dentists that accept medical coupons and reimbursement for services is minimal. Paradoxically, it is the poor children that suffer the most from the adverse consequences of water fluoridation. And if you look at inner city children across our nation that have had fluoridation since birth, you will find there is absolutely no difference in their decay rate when compared with children in non-fluoridated cities. Poor children get more decay than children in higher income families. Lack of proper nutrition is the number one reason children get tooth decay, not lack of fluoride. ”

“Government officials have put so much of their credibility on the line in support of fluoridation, that it will be very difficult for them to do an about face and speak honestly and openly about this issue. It will be difficult for the dental associations such as the ADA to admit there are health risks because of the liability issues. ”

If you like a good conspiracy theory, check this out:
“Fluoride was the key chemical compound in the production of the atomic bomb, and extensive government information on the serious health risks of fluoride was kept secret both during and after World War II. This helps explain how the fluoride industries were able to get virtually total cooperation from government agencies in covering up industry's fluoride pollution.”

The above quote was taken from an article entitled, “How We Got Fluoridated.”  It has a very detailed chronology and makes for very interesting reading.

The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson and The Case Against Fluoride by Paul Connett also address the history of fluoride use.

Thanks, Erin!


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