Health Canada Suggests Lowering Fluoridation Levels to Protect Children's Teeth
August 18, 2008 by: Sally Stride
Key concepts: fluoride, health, fluoridation
(WaterSupplyNews) Canadian children are ingesting too much cavity-fighting fluoride and it can ruin their teeth. U.S. children ingest even more fluoride but no such sound advice is evident from U.S. officials. To avoid fluoride-induced yellow and tan discolored teeth (moderate dental fluorosis), fluoride chemicals injected into Canadian water supplies should be lowered, says an expert panel, including two Americans, convened by Health Canada. Less fluoride in children's toothpaste and infant formula is also recommended.
Because scientific evidence shows that even low amounts of ingested fluoride poses dental and health risks, many environmental groups, eleven U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Unions and over 1,780 professionals urge that fluoridation be stopped worldwide (http://www.fluoridealert.org/profes...) .
"The best way to lower children's fluoride intake, as Health Canada suggests, is to stop fluoridation," says Paul Connett, PhD, Executive Director, Fluoride Action Network (FAN). "It makes no sense to prescribe fluoride drugs to children via the water supply at levels which are between 150 and 250 times higher than the level in mothers' milk," says Connett.
Despite breast milk's extremely low fluoride content, it's both protective against dental fluorosis and tooth decay, studies show.
Canadian water fluoride levels, now between 0.8 and 1.0 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water (mg/L), should be lowered to 0.7 mg/L, says Health Canada's fluoride panel. The level of fluoride in Toronto, Canada's water was reduced from 1.2 to 0.8 mg/L in 1999 and to 0.6 mg/L in 2005. In 2000, moderate dental fluorosis was reported in 14% of 7-year-olds and 12% of 13-year-olds.
Toronto-based Citizens for a Safe Environment (CSE) wants fluoridation stopped entirely in Toronto and will co-host two public fluoride meetings with FAN in downtown Toronto on Monday, August 11.
"These meetings will give the public information they don't get from our government or dental organizations," says CSE director Karen Buck. "In the afternoon, a panel will address the question of whether Toronto should stop fluoridating its water. In the evening, experts will explain fluoride's dangers to health."
After receiving an invitation to attend, the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) sent out a news release urging legislators and communities to stand up in support of fluoridation; but the ODA will not do so, themselves.
"The best way that the ODA can get communities and politicians to stand up for water fluoridation is to provide, in person, a cogent and scientifically-referenced defense of fluoridation at the afternoon forum," says Buck. For more info on the conferences: (http://fluoridealert.org/august.11.html) .
Dentists who promote fluoridation often dismiss mild dental fluorosis (white spots) as "not a problem." However, Dincer reports in the New York State Dental Journal that even white-spotted teeth can damage children's self-esteem. Cosmetic dentists happily cover up any dental fluorosis, mild, moderate or severe, often for very high out-of-pocket fees.
American children consume much more fluoride than Canadian children evidence shows. The six-member Health Canada panel included American dentist, Jayanth Kumar of the New York State Department of Health which still recommends water fluoride levels between 0.7 to 1.2 mg/L. Unlike American authorities, Health Canada does not recommend fluoride drops or tablets for children under age three who live in non-fluoridated communities.
The U.S. EPA also allows high amounts of (sulfuryl) fluoride pesticide residues to remain on foods which is not so in Canada, according to Health Canada.
In the U.S., up to 48% of children have fluorosis, with 4% moderate/severe, according to the CDC.
While dental Fluorosis is an obvious sign of fluoride toxicity, unseen is fluoride's toxic bodily effects.
A March 2006 National Research Council (NRC) fluoride report reveals science showing how fluoride jeopardizes health -- even at low levels deliberately added to public water supplies. Fluoride poses risks to the thyroid gland, bones, diabetics, kidney patients, high water drinkers, infants, and others and can severely damage children's teeth. At least three panel members advise avoiding fluoridated water and Panel Chairman, toxicologist John Doull, is worried about the thyroid effects.
Because of the NRC report, the National Kidney Foundation withdrew its fluoridation support and both the ADA and CDC advise that infant formula should not be mixed with fluoridated water. The NRC found plausible studies linking fluoride to lowered IQ.
The Health Canada fluoride panel claims that "the weight of evidence does not support a link between fluoride and intelligence quotient deficit."
However, "It is hard to believe that any "weight of evidence" analysis could possibly dismiss fluoride's neurological impacts. There have now been over 40 animal studies which show that fluoride can damage the brain, and no less than 18 studies which show that fluoride lowers IQ in children, and only 2 that don't," says Connett.
The latest issue of the journal Fluoride published 12 newly-translated Chinese studies, which report fluoride's effects on the brain, including the lowering of IQ in children. These and other brain studies will be reviewed at both conferences.
Dr. Vyvyan Howard, an infant and fetal pathologist, and president of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment, will be presenting a major review of studies on fluoride's brain effects, including the translated Chinese studies.
About the author
Sally has degrees in Biology and Journalism and is a freelance health writerAbout the author: Sally has degrees in Biology and Journalism and is a freelance health writer
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