Drinking Water Fluoride

Fluoride in drinking water has been a hot topic in the past decade. Some communities are all for it and some are completely against it. With such a range of opinions on the matter some organizations have took it upon themselves to present the pros and cons of the fluoride to the public so they can make informed decisions. Often times these surveys are bias to one side or the other, so I shall be giving information on both sides of the issue, the future outlook, and my personal opinion in order to help inform you to decide on your own.

For over 60 years, Americans have been inundated with propaganda proclaiming the benefits of artificially fluoridating the public’s drinking water to prevent tooth decay. I do not use the term “propaganda” lightly. In fact the “father” of modern propaganda, nephew of Sigmund Freud, Edward Bernays was brought in to sell spiking America’s public water supply with fluoride (Pilger). This was critical to protect the American Aluminum Company (ALCOA), the world’s largest aluminum producer, from litigation from their workers who were exposed to toxic levels of sodium fluoride. Fluoride in the public water supply is a detriment to the health of Americans and provides no positive benefits while presenting great risk. Fluoridated water is poison, it is proven to decrease IQ, and it is medicating the public with an FDA classified tranquilizer without the informed consent of the citizens.

In the early 1900s, dentist Frederick McKay began to see a trend in the patients he was seeing in Colorado Springs, Colorado (NIDR, 2014). The majority of his patients were showing signs of dental fluorosis, brown spots on permanent teeth, with no explanation (NIDR, 2014). Surprisingly, Dr. McKay found that those with dental fluorosis were also resistant to tooth decay (McClure, 1970). There was very little known about this condition, so Dr. McKay took it upon himself to do some research. After looking at trends, he discovered that the areas where dental fluorosis was prominent were also areas where there was naturally occurring fluoride in the drinking water (McClure, 1970). The first water fluoridation project began in 1945 in Grand

Today I will be writing about the ever going argument of “Is fluoridated water better for your health?” Many people have said that it is in fact the opposite but i intend to change their opinion with my research project. If you don't know what water fluoridation is, it is the adjustment of fluoride to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.

In 2007, a study of human health in relation to water fluoridation was reviewed again only to confirm that when fluoridation is maintained at optimal levels, it is safe and beneficial. There was no clear evidence of the association of water fluoridation and

However, water suppliers who follow the primary standards levels, put young children and their developing teeth at risk for disease, as the maximum fluoride level is twice that of the recommended level for children. On the other hand, “believing that fluoride is an industrial poison requires to deny decades of evidence that fluoride at low concentrations has no ill effects. Also have to believe that the "industry" is paying the "government" to keep quiet while industrial dumping of chemical waste into public water supplies”. Thus, for the moment got confused between that statement and “anti-fluoride campaigners believe that fluoride in drinking water is harmful because it alters your brain in some way”. However, my stance on adding fluoride in drinking water will join the thought of the majority of medical and dental practitioners in our community who indicated their support of retaining fluoride in our community water supply. Since there is no actual and scientific approved evidence of how fluoride addition into drinking water is harmful for the human (no significant health risk). Besides, as a percussion step, I will follow the (PHS) recommendation level for fluoride as safe and acceptable fluoride drinking water

if the it exceeds this level, fluorosis will occur (Pizzo, Piscopo, Pizzo, 2007). Further studies confirmed that if the level of fluoride in the drinking water is between 0.9 and 1.2, teeth will have a mild dental fluorosis (Dean, 1942).(Fawell, Bailey, 2006). Later, 0.7-1.2 PPM was a recommended concentration depending on the climatic temperature, dietary practices and water consumption in the area (fawell, 2003; Palmer, Wolfe, 2005). In January 1945, many studies about the advantages of fluoridated water to level 1 PPM was began in the USA and Canada. The medical use of fluoride started in Grand Rapid, United state for dental caries prevention. It became the first city in the world which has fluoridated water adjusted to level 1 PPM in the public drinking water (Dean, Francis et al,.1950; Pizzo, Piscopo, Giuliana, 2007). By the mid-1980s. however, the water fluoridation efficiency has declined. It is argued that the fluoride is not safe unless it is used carefully within the recommended ranges. The main aim of this article to review the adverse and the beneficial effect of water fluoridation on human teeth to prevent

I think fluoridation of public drinking water has both beneficial and detrimental effects on human health. However, I believe that there are more positive impacts of fluoride on human health. One positive impact of fluoride on human health is its contribution to prevention of dental caries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified dental caries (cavities) as a worldwide epidemic and recommends adding fluoride to drinking water where naturally occurring levels of fluoride are below optimal levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that fluoridation of the public water supply is the most equitable, cost-effective, and cost-saving method of delivering fluoride to promoting healthy communities.” Additionally,

The ingestion of fluoride has been associated to benefits for the teeth. According to some observers in the past, fluoride strengthens the enamel of the teeth making it not so susceptible to cavities. From this hypothesis the fluoridation of water had its start and until today it is believed to be one of the most responsible sources for reducing cavities in the population (Graham & Morin, 1999). In some author’s view the fluoridation of the water implies a significant change and the positive effects can been seen in the so-called post-fluoride generation. In this generation the number of adults without any teeth has dramatically declined and similar improvements can be observed in the periodontal health − related to gums and supporting structures of teeth − (Milgrom & Reisine, 2000). However the lack of consideration of fluoride’s potential to be harmful to human’s health is questionable and studies have pointed out the dark side of this compound (Bryson, 2006).

Fluoride is a compound that contains fluorine with another element or group. It is used mainly in dental hygiene products such as toothpaste. Toothpaste that contains fluoride is now required by the FDA to have a warning label that states, "… If more than used for brushing is accidently swallowed, get medical help or call the Poison Control Center right away." The consumption of fluorine over long periods of time could lead to health complications. Despite the possible side effects, the government has deposited fluorine into our water systems. With that being said, fluorine should not be allowed to be put into our drinking water.

Dental fluorosis is a change in the appearance of the tooth's enamel. These changes can vary from barely noticeable white spots to staining and pitting in the more severe forms. Dental fluorosis only occurs when younger children consume too much fluoride, from any source, over long periods when teeth are developing under the gums (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). For this reason, it is very important to have a monitoring system in place to ensure fluoride levels are kept at a safe level. Even with the potential risk of fluorosis, fluoridation of water has proven to be effective in reducing tooth decay by at least 25%. Fortunately, fluoridation of water is cost effective as an individual can have a lifetime of fluoridated water for less than the cost of one dental

Fluoride is not a beneficial mineral to dental patients because it is poisonous. According to Michael Schachter M.D, “Fluoride is more poisonous than lead and just slightly less poisonous than arsenic. It is a cumulative poison that accumulates in bone over the years” (“The Dangers of Fluoride and Fluoridation”). Fluoride is a poison and accumulates over time especially when it is digested. By digesting this mineral the patient is slowly poisoning them without knowing it.The patient should realize that this poison like any other can eventually cause damages to one’s body over time. The Fluoride Action Network claims, “In 1997, the FDA ordered toothpaste manufacturers to add a poison warning on all fluoride toothpaste sold in the U.S. The FDA

For warm climates where consumption is high, 0.7 mg/L is considered to be optimal and 1.2 mg/L for cool climates (PHS 1991). It is worth noting that EPA is responsible for the monitoring of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water and local authorities make the decision for the artificial levels of fluorides. However, exceeded levels above the optimal are toxic and pose several adverse health effects, such as dental and skeletal fluorosis, cancer, neurotoxicity, reproductive effects, endocrine effects, immune and cardiovascular effects and more. The current project will focus mostly on dental and skeletal fluorosis and less covered effects, such as neurotoxicity and thyroid effects. There is a continuous research going on, for the estimation of those effects, in order to achieve a balance between the health benefits and toxicity of fluoridation. Nevertheless, water fluoridation remains a controversial subject and is one of the most important toxicological issues in many

As our study focuses on the preschool children, home is assumed to be the only water source for the sample population. Therefore, the fluoridation exposure of these children were determined by home fluoridation status. There are four nominal values: Fluoridated, Partly-fluoridated, Non-fluoridated and Unknown. For determining the status of fluoridation exposure, those who were accessible to community fluoridated or partly-fluoridated water were determined to have exposure. Those utilising non-fluoridated water were determined as not having

The potential for human exposure to fluoride is high due to it being a compound that is virtually everywhere within our environment. Small amounts can be found in the air, water, plants, and animals, making it hard to avoid being exposed to at least a small dose. The general population is exposed to fluoride on a daily basis through the consumption of foods, drinking water, and fluoride-containing dental products (ATDSR, 2003). Industrial factories that use fluoride in their production of goods pose a major risk to the people that live in the area for exposure. The air around these places can be contaminated with fluorine gas or fluoride could have seeped into the surrounding soil. Not only can the population be exposed to fluoride from human