FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FLUORIDE RISKS:   view ACCORDION

• What Exactly Is Fluoride ?

  “Fluoride” is a generic term used to describe a chemical compound containing the element fluorine, as well as one or more additional elements. In its pure state, fluorine is a yellowish gas that is extremely corrosive and poisonous. It is known to be the most reactive of all the elements in the Periodic Table of Elements. Because of this, fluorine exists in nature only in combination with at least one other element. So, fluorine + calcium = calcium fluoride; fluorine + sodium + aluminum = sodium aluminum fluoride. Important Note: Fluoride-containing chemical compounds are also the primary hazardous-waste products that have been, and continue to be, generated by a number of enterprises, such as the phosphate fertilizer and aluminum industries. Because of the prevalence of fluoride in the Earth’s crust, these industries and others that mine for raw materials inevitably produce varying amounts of fluoride containing hazardous waste as a byproduct of their ore extraction and refinement processes.

• Is Fluoride a Nutrient or a Necessary Mineral ?

  No. Fluoride is not a nutrient for our teeth. We don’t need fluoride to prevent tooth decay, nor do we develop tooth decay because we are deficient in fluoride. It is well established that fluoride has no nutritional value for the human body.

• Is Fluoride a Drug ?

  “The FDA confirms that fluoride meets the legal definition of a ‘drug’ and has approved its topical use in toothpaste and mouthwash but has not reviewed nor approved fluoride when it is to be ingested for a reduction in tooth decay. Proponents have yet to produce any controlled, peer-reviewed studies showing that long-term ingestion of fluoride compounds is safe.” (See www.safewateroregon.org/fluoridation.html for more information).

• Is Flouride Dangerous To Health ?

  The danger that fluoride can present is most obviously supported by the warning printed on every box and tube of fluoridated toothpaste: “If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away”.

• What Is Water Fluoridation ?

  A concise, no-nonsense way of describing typical water fluoridation practices is this: Local governments spend tax dollars to buy fluoride-rich hazardous waste, primarily from the phosphate fertilizer industry, and add it to drinking water supplies because it’s supposed to be good for teeth.

• Why Is It Claimed That Fluoride Prevents Cavities ?

  When applied topically to teeth, fluoride can have a superficial effect on reducing cavities in a significant number of people. However, dietary consumption of flouride, as in drinking from a flouridated water supply, has been shown to be of no significant value in reducing the incidence or severity of cavities. Despite the propaganda to the contrary, there has never been a completed and controlled scientific study proving that drinking fluoridated water is a safe, beneficial and cost-effective, public-health measure for preventing dental cavities.

• Unlike Most Countries Why Is Fluoride Added To US Water ?

  For more information about why the U.S. started adding fluoride to public water supplies in the 1950’s and why the practice continues to be promoted in spite of the lack of evidence proving safety of ingesting fluoride, read The Case Against Fluoride, How Hazardous Waste Ended Up in Our Drinking Water, and the Bad Science and Powerful Politics That Keep It There. Published in 2010, this well-researched book has extensive information about the history, economics and politics of water fluoridation.

• Is Fluoridated Drinking Water Safe ?

  Ingesting fluoridated water is likely to result in various health problems because fluoride can inhibit enzyme activity, interfere with the body’s utilization of the essential nutrients calcium and iodine, and increase the stress from free radicals, which are highly reactive and unstable molecules, on cells throughout the body. Fluoride’s effects on the biochemistry of the human body are clearly antagonistic to good health. From both a scientific and holistic perspective, it doesn’t make sense to support the fluoridation of drinking water supplies, especially when we know that we don’t even need fluoride to prevent cavities. Cavities are not caused by a deficiency of fluoride. Science teaches us that fluoride is a toxin — not a nutrient. Cavities are primarily caused by poor nutrition — especially, eating more sugar than our body can handle — together with inadequate oral hygiene.

• Where Does Fluoride Accumulate In the Body ?

  In addition to teeth, fluoride accumulates in bones and other critical areas such as the pineal gland, a very important part of the endocrine system which is linked to our sleep cycle, among many other things. Fluoride accumulation in bones disrupts the natural and necessary process of remodeling whereby old bone cells are continually shed and replaced with new cells. The result is dense, brittle bone that is less resilient to stress and more prone to fracture. (known as skeletal fluorosis) Fluoride also can increase the risk for numerous health problems, including gastrointestinal irritation, skin rashes, symptoms similar to arthritis, hypothyroidism (not enough thyroid production) and kidney damage. And there is research indicating that fluoride may cause, or contribute to, varying degrees of neurological impairment, including damage to the brain of a child.

• What Is Dental Fluorosis ?

  There is no doubt that ingesting too much fluoride can actually be harmful to children’s teeth, as exemplified by the fact that fluoride is the causative factor for an injury known as dental fluorosis (a condition in which the enamel of the teeth is damaged.) Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell us that 1 out of 3 children in the U.S., between the ages of 6 and 11, and 2 out of 5 children, between the ages of 12 to 15, have some degree of dental fluorosis. In mild cases, the abnormal changes in enamel can appear as small white spots or streaks, but in severe cases, the enamel becomes discolored with brown spots, along with significant pitting and markedly increased brittleness of the teeth. The “politically correct” way of explaining dental fluorosis is to say a child has been “overexposed” to fluoride. But an honest and no-nonsense way of explaining dental fluorosis is this: It is a physical symptom that a child has experienced some degree of chronic fluoride poisoning.

• Who Monitors Side Effects Of Fluoridated Water ?

  There is no government agency responsible for monitoring the effects of fluoridated water on any organ, gland or system of the body other than teeth. (This applies, as well, to the ADA or any other professional association).

• Did You Know ?

  Fluoride is the only chemical added to public water supplies intended to treat the people drinking it and not the water itself! Fluoride has been proven to be a very effective drug for decreasing thyroid gland activity. (It is a used as a treatment of a condition called hyperthyroidism, characterized by excessive thyroid gland activity). There are a large number of people in the U.S. who are challenged with hypothyroidism (a condition in which not enough thyroid hormone is produced). Why add fluoride to the water? It has never been proven to prevent cavities and it is known to decrease thyroid function. Why should any drug be added to public drinking water supplies in a country founded on individual rights and freedom to choose?

• Are Other Toxic Chemicals Bound To Fluoride In Water ?

  Of the municipalities in the U.S. that fluoridate their water supply, about 90 percent use as their source of fluoride a waste product from the phosphate fertilizer industry that is officially classified as hazardous waste — that is, right up until the moment it is loaded into the tanker trucks that deliver it to the water-fluoridating municipalities — and then, in some unknown and apparently “magical” way, the hazardous waste changes into a product suitable for human consumption!

• Where, Exactly, Does Fluoride Come From ?

  Fluoride naturally occurs in the phosphate-rich rocks that are used to make fertilizer. When the phosphate-rich rocks are treated with sulfuric acid to dissolve the phosphate, two highly toxic gases are produced: hydrogen fluoride and silicon tetrafluoride. If these gases go out the smokestacks of the fertilizer factories, they are classified as environmental pollutants, known to be capable of damaging crops, injuring animals and harming humans. But smokestack scrubbers, which are actually a spray of water, are used to “capture” these toxic gases containing fluoride, and new compounds, known as hydrofluorosilic acid, or hexafluorosilic acid, or simply fluorosilic acid, are formed. The resulting wastewater that accumulates from this process also contains arsenic and other toxic byproducts that come from the processing of the phosphate-rich rocks. Not surprisingly, the Environmental Protection Agency classifies it as hazardous waste. But unbelievably, it is this untreated hazardous waste that is loaded into tanker trucks and eventually added to the water supplies of numerous municipalities around the country because of the high fluoride content.

• Is Fluorosilic Acid Pufified Before Addition To Water ?

  It is very rare for me to meet anyone, including dentists and physicians, who know the truth about where the fluoride in drinking water comes from. The vast majority of people assume that it is pharmaceutical-grade — a highly refined and purified product. When I explain where it does come from, their usual first response is, “Well, yes, the fluoride may come from hazardous waste, but, of course, it’s treated, refined or purified before it’s added to the water supply, isn’t it?” Understandably, people want to believe this because to think otherwise would be very disturbing. But the truth is as I previously described it. The fluoride-rich hazardous waste is not treated. It is not refined. It is not purified. Although it is untreated hazardous waste, the promoters of fluoridation will tell you that it is highly diluted, and this is true. It is highly diluted with your drinking water!

• Why Have Some Municipalities Stopped Fluoridating Water ?

  There is no government mandate forcing states or municipalities (cities, towns, villages) to put fluoride into drinking water. In fact, there are many communities that enjoy fluoride-free drinking water. Some never added it to begin with, others have taken a close look at the facts and have chosen to discontinue the practice. In many cases, a group of citizens has taken the initiative to bring this information to the public and request that their local government stop water fluoridation.