There has been limited research on fluoride’s possible effects on the reproductive system. However, there is recent research that suggests that fluoride can cause toxic effects to human cells, reduce circulating testosterone, reduce the overall fertility rate and alter reproductive hormones. More research is needed to determine what dose of fluoride can cause these effects.
The first half of 2012 saw a major victory in the battle for fluoride-free public drinking water in the United States. In April, city officials in Albuquerque, New Mexico, elected not to increase the fluoride content of the community’s water. “We’re going to err on the side of caution,” remarked David Morris, a representative for the Albuquerque Water Authority (i). The decision triggered a ripple effect that stirred debate in neighboring communities, causing public officials and residents alike to reconsider the widely held notion that fluoride is a “healthy.”
Modern medicine has long promoted vaccines as the most effective measure to prevent the spread of certain illnesses. Measles, Mumps, Polio, and Hepatitis are just a few examples of the illnesses for which we are vaccinated, often before the age of 5. But are vaccines healthy, and should governmental agencies have the right to require the general public to receive them? A number of independent researchers say “No,” citing evidence from a recent study that shows vaccinated children may be more susceptible to certain illnesses than children who have not received routine vaccinations. As research mounts, health professionals and scientists from around the world are beginning to ask an alarming question: Are vaccines actually making children sick?
Diet and oral health are connected in a number of interesting ways, and focusing on the former has an increasingly positive effect on the latter. Eating well sets the foundation for creating healthy teeth and gums for life, and oral health is promoted exponentially when daily food consumption is limited to the foods that are most healthy. Today, health professionals are compiling evidence that suggests food items like wheat, barley, and bread are causing serious health issues for a growing number of Americans. The evidence suggests that about 1% of the population has an adverse reaction to gluten, a protein found in most whole grains. This has prompted dental professionals to spread awareness for gluten by encouraging patients to consider how the wheat, barley, and other whole grains in their daily diet may be hurting overall health.
Today, the average person consumes 150 pounds of sugar each year—nearly 20 times the amount consumed by the average person in the 18th century (i). Only about 60% of those calories are metabolized and converted into immediate energy; the remaining 40% are converted into fat molecules, stored, and reserved for energy production later. With this in mind, it is easy to see how sugar consumption is a key contributor to obesity. New research shows that excessive sugar consumption also leads to a number of other life threatening diseases, including type II Diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Miami dentists have begun to spread awareness for this issue, warning patients to be weary of daily sugar intake not only to prevent cavities but to preserve total body health as well.
Though there is much debate whether fluoride is helpful or harmful, studies have shown that people have hypersensitive reactions to fluoride. As recognized by the Physicians' Desk Reference (1994, 48th Edition, p. 2335-6), these symptoms include gastric distress, headache, joint pain, lethargy, mouth lesions, skin rashes, visual disturbances and weakness. The book also says, “These hypersensitivity reactions usually disappear promptly after discontinuation of the fluoride." Assure a Smile has prepared this research article to spread awareness for fluoride allergy and to provide patients with alternative methods of preventing tooth decay.
According to the Journal of Dental Research (Whitford 1987, 1990), there is enough fluoride in a tube of children's fluoride toothpaste to kill an average-weighing child under the age of 9. Why else would the FDA require the following warning label on fluoride toothpaste?
"WARNING: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately."
The 1984 Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products rates lead’s toxicity at 3-4, while fluoride is rated at 4 (3 = moderately toxic; 4 = very toxic).
Last Friday, the Assure a Smile family visited Dadeland Mall for an evening of celebrating the fun side of food! There was no shortage of smiles, laughter, and delicious hand-made snacks. Here are some pictures from the event, along with details on how you may attend the next Super Duper Mini Chef at a Simon Mall near you!
Gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting are the most common early symptoms of acute fluoride poisoning. For people who are sensitive to fluoride, ingesting 1 mg tablets of fluoride or drinking 1 parts per million of fluoridated water can cause these gastrointestinal symptoms. A 5-to-10 gram dose of fluoride for an adult or 500 mg dose for a child can cause damage to the body’s major organs and even cause death.
Fluoride’s damaging effects on the brain has been documented by both human and animal studies. Eighteen human studies from China, India, Iran and Mexico and more than 40 animal studies show evidence that fluoride toxicity negatively affects the brain. A Chinese study [Wang SX, ZH Wang, XT Cheng, J Li, ZP Sang, XD Zhang, LL Han, SY Qiao, ZM Wu and ZQ Wang. 2007. “Arsenic and fluoride exposure in drinking water: children's IQ and growth in Shanyin County, Shanxi province, China.” Environmental Health Perspectives 115(4):643-7.] examined 524 children, ages 8 to 12, for “fluoride exposures in relation to intellectual functioning and growth.” The children who were exposed to high concentrations of fluoride through well water -- as high as 8.3 (mg/L)—were compared to a control group of children from neighboring villages whose well water contained 0.5 mg/L of fluoride. The high fluoride group had a four-point IQ score reduction compared with the control group, and the high fluoride group’s urine fluoride level was five times higher than the control group.