The Fluoride Action Network is perhaps the most well known fluoride-free advocacy group in the world, comprised of licensed medical professionals, scientists, and health professionals united in the fight against unethical water fluoridation (i). Together, the team seeks to spread global awareness for the toxicity of fluoride among citizens, scientists, and policymakers.
The organization has compiled hundreds of studies from health professionals and research organizations from across the world. According to their findings, here are 10 of the top 50 reasons to oppose water fluoridation:
1. Water fluoridation is a medical treatment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies fluoride as a ‘drug.’ Adding fluoride to public drinking water is a practice that aims to reduce the incidence of tooth decay, not to improve the quality and/or safety of the water itself.
2. As a ‘medical treatment,’ water fluoridation is unethical. Adding fluoride—a FDA classified ‘drug’—to public drinking water exposes the community to the drug without their consent. According to the Fluoride Action Network, this fundamental lack of ‘Informed Consent’ is the primary reason why 97% of Western European countries do not practice water fluoridation.
3. Exposure to the drug cannot be controlled. One of the biggest problems with water fluoridation is that it is impossible to control individual exposure to fluoride, a potentially toxic mineral. Everyone consumes a different amount of water each day. Moreover, everyone consumes a different variety of everyday products like fresh produce and American-made wine that are manufactured with fluoridated water.
4. Fluoride exposure comes from a variety of sources, and the effects can be cumulative. Many food items, beverages, and other consumer products are manufactured with fluoridated water, increasing the risk of toxic side effects that result from overexposure.
5. Bottle-fed infants are at high-risk for overexposure to fluoride. Bottle-fed infants are at particularly high risk for overexposure to this toxic mineral, as tap water contains a fluoride concentration of up to 300 times that of natural mother’s milk (iii). Writing for the Fluoride Action Network, Dr. Paul Clennett explains:
There are no benefits, only risks, for infants ingesting this heightened level of fluoride at such an early age, an age where susceptibility to environmental toxins is particularly high.
6. Fluoride accumulates in the body over time, increasing the likelihood of serious health issues. It has been reported that only about 50-60% of ingested fluoride is excreted by the kidneys, leaving about 50-40% to accumulate in the body. Most dangerous is accumulation in the Pineal Gland, which, according to research published by Dr. Jennifer Luke, may adversely affect sleeping patterns while disrupting the natural progression of puberty in adolescents.
7. Fluoride exposure is not being monitored. Although the FDA classifies fluoride as a ‘drug’, there is no health agency responsible for monitoring fluoride exposure to ensure that Americans do not accidentally become over-exposed to the chemical over time.
8. No single, randomized clinical trial has ever been conducted to demonstrate the safety or effectiveness of fluoride. Medical treatments are typically tested by randomized clinical trials to ensure safety and effectiveness prior to administration. When it comes to fluoridating public drinking water, however, no clinical trial has ever been conducted.
9. The benefit of fluoride is ‘topical.’ According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the benefits of fluoride are primarily achieved through a topical application (although such applications are typically concentrated and still dangerous). Fluoride does not deliver any benefits when ingested in liquid form, as it is not needed for a single biological process in the human body. Moreover, an overwhelming number of studies suggest it accumulates throughout the body and may pose serious risks to mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
10. Fluoridation is not necessary. According to data collected by the World Health Organization, countries like Iceland, Italy, Japan, and Belgium have rejected water fluoridation since the late 1970s. In more than 5 decades that have followed, those countries have experienced the same decline in tooth decay as other countries that have promoted fluoridated water.
Join the Fight to End Water Fluoridation in Florida
Assure A Smile stands with Fluoride Free Florida, an alliance of concerned citizens with a common goal: Eliminate the dangerous and costly practice of community water fluoridation. To learn more about Fluoride Free Florida, readers are invited to visit the organization online.
This special health report has been produced by Assure a Smile, South Florida’s Home of Holistic Dentistry. For more information, readers are invited to visit the URLs in the Sources section below. Readers may also schedule an appointment with a Miami dentist online, or call our front desk directly at 305-274-0047.
Sources for this health report include:
(i) “50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation.” Published on Flouridealert.org. Accessed November 26th, 2012.
(ii) “About FAN.” Published on Flouridealert.org. Accessed November 26th, 2012.
(iii) See (i) above.
