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Model Representation

By: David Deschesne

Editor/Publisher, Fort Fairfield Journal, November 21, 2007, p. 10

It’s found in most toothpastes and rat poison. Used topically, it can help kill the bacteria that causes tooth decay. But, if it’s ingested, it may cause osteoporosis, mottled teeth and/or reduced IQ. Fluoride is that controversial toxic compound being added to many municipal water supplies across the country as “medicine” to prevent tooth decay.

With fluoridated water being used to produce soda, soups, and other foodstuffs, there is currently no way to monitor how much of the compound people ingest on a daily basis and no way to keep them from ingesting dangerously high levels.

In a recent interview on WTVD ABC-11 in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, news anchor, Steve Daniels interviewed Dr. Michael Fleming, a Durham dentist who is also the Consumer Representative to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Dental Products Panel.

“There is no need to fluoridate the water supplies,” said Dr. Fleming, who thinks we're getting far too much fluoride. “Fluoride in the water is essentially a drug, it's an uncontrolled use of a drug.”

“The primary benefit of fluoride is topically, used as a topical addition, not internally,” said Dr. Fleming.

“Topically” simply means the fluoridated product is used to rinse the mouth and then spit out - not swallowed.
The televised report stated that not only is fluoride in your toothpaste and in some mouthwash, “it is also in places you may have never guessed. It's in soft drinks and beer. Thinking of having orange juice and oatmeal for breakfast? If they're made with water in a fluoridated community then your breakfast comes with a side of fluoride.”

Dr. Fleming says because fluoride is all around us his interest is in controlling the dosing from all sources.

The warning label on all fluoridated toothpastes state warn that if more is swallowed than used for brushing, to contact a poison control center immediately.

Paradoxically, that same toxic compound warned about by toothpaste manufacturers is being added to municipal water supplies and even a national department store’s “Nursery Water for Babies” with no such warning labels against ingestion at all.

Last year, the American Dental Association (ADA) warned parents with babies not to use fluoridated water to mix baby formula. The ADA says parents should use non-fluoridated bottled water instead.

With all of the food and drinks prepared with fluoridated water consumed in the course of a day, there is no way to control the toxicity level of that potentially harmful drug in any individual person.

Regardless of its health benefits or detriments, Americans are currently being drugged without their knowledge, or informed consent through their municipal water supplies - which also affects most processed foods, as well.

In 2006, a report by the National Academy of Sciences identified fluoride as a potent hormone disruptor that can affect the thyroid and potentially lower the IQ of children. The report also said some children who drink fluoridated water develop fluorosis, a defect in their teeth that causes discoloration and erosion of the enamel.

The televised report also stated that
“last year four Harvard researchers released a study revealing a five fold increase in bone cancer in teenage boys who drank fluoridated water years earlier between the ages of six and eight.”

“We need to be asking some serious questions,” said Dr. Fleming. “Let's make the changes that are necessary to fit the science as it's emerging which tells us that we don't need to fluoridate the water. We can use topical applications. For heaven's sake, we can give families the choice,” he continued.

On the opposite coast, the water district that serves Malibu, California recently moved to fluoridate their water, which brought the ire of actor Martin Sheen in a letter to the editor of the Malibu Times.

“To date, no manufacturer of the actual hydrofluosilicic acid to be used has stated that their specific product is effective at reducing tooth decay when swallowed, or safe for all infants, children and the elderly. The public should be able to view actual dated product review documents that prove the manufacturer has earned certification, as California law requires,” wrote Mr. Sheen. “Is it not obvious to all that $20 million could much more effectively be spent on nutrition, oral health education and toothbrushes? These funds could be used for a less toxic, more salutary solution. Caries are caused by poor nutrition and poor oral hygiene, not lack of hydrofluosilicic acid, containing lead and arsenic and other carcinogenic and mutagenic substances.”