The Fluoride debate: Are We Biting off more than we can Chew?“0 Comments”
admin | 4:32 pm | September 21, 2011 | Uncategorized
You may remember your mother insisting you take fluoride tablets for healthy teeth. I remember raiding my mother’s medicine cabinet and chewing on those little white tablets as if they were sweets. I also recall eating blobs of my favourite tasting toothpaste after brushing. Sadly though, when my adult teeth grew, I ended up with something called enamel fluorosis, – a consequence of excess fluoride ingestion and which required me to have my teeth capped “Hollywood-style” to hide the results (mottling and discoloration). Enamel fluorosis is an example of what can happen when we take in much too much fluoride, but research is saying that even small amounts of fluoride (like those found in water supplies) are a health hazard for both children and adults.
Regulations to fluoridate water supplies were originally implemented to help deliver the mineral (which is said to assist healthy tooth development) to the population at large. According to Karl Lobout, water quality specialist at Rand water, our water does in fact contain a very low concentration of fluoride at just 0.2 parts per million. He states, “We don’t believe that water is the right vehicle for fluoride transmission and at the same time, fluoridated water is bad for the environment”. Not all of South Africa is serviced by Rand water however, and some areas, and especially borehole sources of water can contain very high levels of fluoride, explains Labout. Fluoride supplements, fluoride toothpastes and dietary sources are additional vehicles through which we ingest fluoride. Orlando Rojas, a Pretoria based holistic dentist, believes we should not be taking in any fluoride at all, that it is not an essential mineral to dental health and that there are safer and more effective ways to prevent tooth decay. However, the majority of South African dentists (and dentists world-wide) continue to prescribe fluoride treatments and toothpastes.
The fluoride issue remains quite a contentious one, but the anti-fluoride movement seems to be gaining some ground recently. A 500-page review of fluoride’s toxicology was released in 2006 by a panel of experts appointed by the National Research Council (NRC) in the U.S. The NRC concluded that the safe drinking water standard in the U.S. for fluoride of 4 parts per million is unsafe and should be lowered. The panel reviewed a large body of literature in which fluoride has a statistically significant association with a wide range of adverse effects in both adults and children. These include an increased risk of bone fractures, decreased thyroid function, lowered IQ, arthritic-like conditions, dental fluorosis and, possibly, osteosarcoma (bone cancer). In fact, up to 32% of Americans suffer from some form of dental fluorosis according to the report. Later that year, the American Dental Association made a policy change that recommending that only purified, distilled or demineralised water should be used to prepare infant formula during the first 12 months of life. They also urged that children under two years of age stay away from fluoride toothpastes, supplements and mouth rinses unless prescribed by a dentist.
It is not just the safety of fluoride that is under scrutiny though, but also it’s effectiveness. Another 2007 report issued by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology concluded that fluoride added to the public water supply, or prescribed as controlled-dose supplements, in addition to causing adverse effects, delivers no discernible health benefit. The Fluoride Action network (FAN), a U.S. based orgonisation made up of environmentalists, scientists and medical professionals, issued a statement in 2008 calling an end to all fluoridation world-wide.
Despite the hype, Dr. Norman Cahi, A Johannesburg dentist still prescribes fluoride in his practice. Cahi does not believe fluoride to be a poison, especially since we can ingest fluoride through many dietary sources including soya, dairy products and tea, he explains. He also states that since South African water supplies are very low in fluoride, we may be lacking in this mineral (According to Cahi the recommended safe and optimal levels are 1 part per million). Up to 50% of dental disease can be arrested by using fluoride at therapeutic doses, says Cahi. He delivers and prescribes topical and systemic fluoride to children and adults at risk for dental decay. He also often recommends a fluoride releasing dental sealant for children aged five to seven years at high risk for dental decay. Cahi does not believe that fluoride is for everyone though and states that a thorough case history should be taken before deciding whether or not a patient actually needs therapeutic fluoride. For example, explains Cahi, a child fed on soya infant formula mixed with fluoride-rich borehole water would not need to be treated with extra fluoride. One also needs to look at how much toothpaste a child may be swallowing, suggest Cahi, as many children under 8 years of age tend to swallow large amounts. Caretakers should educate children on proper rinsing and spitting out methods to prevent excessive swallowing of fluoride toothpaste.
Preventing Tooth Decay- Alternatives to Fluoride
Dr. Rojas offers advice for preventing tooth decay, without the use of fluoride toothpastes, gels or fluoridated water. According to Rojas, general health and dental health cannot be separated. “Nothing beats a good diet and the restriction of refined sugars”, explains Rojas. Brushing your teeth properly is what does the trick, says Rojas. He prescribes natural toothpastes free from detergents (like sodium laurel sulphate), fluoride and chemicals. “Many of them contain natural ingredients and herbs that provide excellent protection against decay and gingivitis”. To prevent tooth decay, he uses calcium phosphate preparations, which have proven preventative properties. “I have been using it for my patients and my own children for a long time, even in a controlled manner in lactose intolerant children without any problems”, says Rojas. “ Individuals without established periodontal disease flossing remains absolutely mandatory”. In South Africa we don’t have chemical free floss, so at least avoid the fluoridated variety, he advises. Rojas believes that tongue scrapers are great for helping in the control of bacterial colonization by reducing oral pH help to protect teeth as well. He also advocates the use of chemical free mouthwashes and electric toothbrushes for optimum oral hygiene.
A copy of the article also appeared in Business Day Health News
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