Since 1990, the fluoride free movement has increased education, awareness, and fought for the freedom of choice for residents of communities around the world. According to representatives at the Fluoride Action Network, 2014 marks the single best year for the fluoride free movement to date. In total, the movement has eliminated fluoride in the communities of more than 14 million people globally.
Fluoride Free Victories in 2014
This year saw a number of prominent fluoride free victories in communities throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and New Zealand. A few of the most noteworthy victories are listed below:
Bucks County, PA. This Pennsylvania community voted to end water fluoridation this year, protecting 385,000 residents from the potentially toxic side effects of water fluoridation.
Hernando County, Florida. Commissioners in Hernando County heard testimony from both the pro-fluoride and anti-fluoride lobby before removing the controversial chemical from the public water system.
Bolton, United Kingdom. On the other side of the pond, an estimated 276,790 British residents in Bolton went fluoride free in 2014.
New Brunswick & British Columbia. Just north of the United States, more than 140,000 residents of these Canadian provinces said ‘No’ to water fluoridation in 2014.
Rotorua, New Zealand. On the other side of the world, 70,000 residents in Rotorua, NZ, voted to end the controversial water fluoridation program in their local community.
Israeli Bans Fluoride
Perhaps the largest victory for the fluoride free movement happened in July when the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that new regulations would end the state’s 14 year-old national water fluoridation program. In August, Health Minister Yael German expanded upon the Supreme Court’s ruling, explaining that fluoride would not be allowed even in individual communities, even if they desired the chemical treatment. In support of the Health Minister’s new regulations, the Fluoride Action Network sent an open letter commending the Health Minister’s new regulation, including signatures from over 100 of the world’s leading anti-fluoride health experts.
For more on this story, visit our August news article on Israel’s abolition of water fluoridation.
Fluoride Facts
Below are a few of the most compelling reasons why communities around the world are increasingly voting to remove water fluoridation mandates:
- Residents of countries that have fluoridated water programs do not have lower rates of tooth decay than countries without fluoridation programs.
- Fluoride is thought to accumulate in the body, disrupting vital body systems like the endocrine system.
- Fluoride consumption has been linked with lower IQ levels in children.
- Harvard researchers released a study that called fluoride “chemical brain drain.”
- The Scientific World Journal called for a review of water fluoridation programs earlier this year, stating, “…available evidence suggests that fluoride has a potential to cause major adverse human health problems, while having only a modest dental caries prevention effect…” (i)
Fluoride Free Dentistry
At Assure A Smile, we are proud to be a fluoride free dental practice. Miami dentist Dr. Theodore Herrmann, DMD has more than 20 years experience in holistic dentistry and has led numerous fluoride awareness campaigns to help individuals in South Florida recognize the dangers of fluoridated water while limiting exposure.
Readers are invited to schedule an appointment with Assure a Smile to learn more, or visit the Miami Dentist Blog’s Fluoride Research Section to read about this dangerous chemical.
Sources
(i) “Water Fluoridation: A Critical Review.” Hindawi Publishing Corp. Accessed April 25th, 2014.
