Fluoride

Fluoride is an issue in the UK, however for six decades, the American Dental Association has CONTINUOUSLY endorsed the fluoridation of community water supplies and the use of fluoride-containing products as SAFE and EFFECTIVE methods for preventing tooth decay.

The ADA is clear that many bottled waters may not protect.

For sixty years the Americans have managed to make and sustain a decision and in sixty years they have not lived to regret it.

The UK still debates scare stories.

My contribution is that I have seen no evidence to contradict the Americans.

Fluoridation in Birmingham has had a massive effect on reducing levels of tooth decay in youngsters locally.

Statistically, children with severe decay undergo more General anaesthetics and may suffer debilitating illnesses and adverse effects in general terms from infections and abscesses. I therefore conclude that there are people alive today that have survived into adult life directly as a result of fluoridation. Countless others have not suffered the misery of toothache.

There are arguments against mass medication through the water supply but chlorination prevents water bourne pathogens and chlorides are every bit a halogen like fluoride.

The concentration of fluoride in water must be no higher than 1ppm (part per million) because like nearly everyyhing in life, there is a perfect dose.

Fluoride salts like chloride salts, common salt being an example are toxic if you have enough. Fluoride is more reactive and therefore needs closer control to this dose of 1ppm.

If you increase your fluoride level about six fold and you cannot do this by just drinking six times as much water as everyone else, you will observe enamel fluorosis in the adult teeth of children who have had this high fluoride intake. These teeth are mottled in colour (white,cream,light brown), of normal shape and appear exceptionally strong.

The usual way to reach a six fold dose is eating toothpaste regularly. Young children should be given only enough toothpaste to brush and then encouraged to spit out the majority of the toothpaste after brushing. A few episodes of swallowing toothpaste will not cause fluorosis.