Portland Monthly Magazine-Urban Brawl, Water Fluoridation

The Following letter was partially printed in the August 2004 edition of Portland Monthly magazine.

Dental Gloss

The “Urban Brawl” topic for June/July is about the pros and cons of fluoridating water. There are arguments that Oregonian children have a high rate of cavities, but why do they have cavities? It is not from a fluoride deficiency or from brushing their teeth the wrong way. It is because they are unhealthy. Lets look this horse in the mouth!

In the 1930’s Dr. Weston A. Price, a dentist, visited isolated non-industrialized indigenous cultures around the world to find out why they had good teeth and people living in the civilized world did not. It was because of what they ate. , Dr. Price's research showed that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they eat nutrient-dense whole foods, vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats and stayed away from modern processed foods and sweets. We already know that there is an obesity problem here in Oregon and this is the same reason that there is a tooth decay problem here too. Let’s confront the root of the problem here instead of finding a quick fix it that will only lead to disaster in these children’s future. If we don’t stop children from eating sweets and junk foods then we will never change the fact that America is an unhealthy nation.

Yes, there are studies that show fluoridation reduces cavities but there are also studies that show it does not. The largest study ever done on tooth decay (by the National Institute of Dental Research in 1987) showed that there was no significant difference in the teeth of children drinking partially fluoridated and non-fluoridated water in 84 cities. Other studies show that fluoride does not stop tooth decay but just delays the maturation of children’s teeth. Eventually they will have tooth decay.

Beyond the tooth decay issue, there is also information that fluoridated water can cause harm to our children. Silicofluorides, the fluoride that is added to our water is a non-biodegradable, hazardous waste product of big industry which also comes with lead, arsenic and other toxins. If these chemicals are not dumped in the public water supplies, they would have to be neutralized at the highest rated hazardous waste facility at a cost of $1.40 per gallon (or more depending on how much cadmium, lead, uranium and arsenic are also present).

In 1997, EPA scientist, J. William Hirzy, PhD, stated, “Our members’ review of the body of evidence over the last eleven years, including animal and human epidemiological studies, indicate a causal link between fluoride/fluoridation and cancer, genetic damage, neurological impairment and bone pathology. Of particular concern are recent epidemiological studies linking fluoride exposure to lowered IQ in children.”

Should we start pouring chemicals into our water supply that are not FDA approved and might not live up to their purpose? Will we be creating a more toxic world than we already live in? I feel that our ignorance and the wrong doings of big business have already caused us enough challenges.

Robert Ciprian, DC