Flouride…good for teeth???

Fluoride, our front line defense in fighting tooth decay. So safe, we have been using it in toothpaste, mouthwash, adding it to our water supply, and even giving it in pill form to our children. Well research has been done over the past 10 years and the results may surprise you.
The studies are conclusive and report that fluoride damages your bones when ingested every day over long periods of time. Millions of Americans now suffer from skeletal fluorosis, a crippling bone disease caused by excessive fluoride. Nearly 40 percent of all children in the U.S. have dental fluorosis, while millions more have mild fluorosis. Of course, these conditions are mainly caused by high dose fluoride exposure but here’s the problem, fluoride accumulates over time.
To fully understand your fluoride exposure risk, let’s explore how fluoride is handled in your body. First, up to half of ingested fluoride accumulates in your bones, while the other half is excreted in the urine. Second, once fluoride enters your bones it is removed very slowly. The biological half-life of fluoride in bone (the time for half of it to be removed) is as long as 20 years. Third, most people have constant low level exposures to fluoride, and are taking more fluoride into their bones than is being removed. As a result, the fluoride level in bone increases steadily with time. We are slowly being over exposed to fluoride and are all at risk for fluorosis.
You may be wondering, why is fluoride being recommended in the first place? Fluoride increases the density of trabecular bone and has been shown to reduce dental cavities. A study from 1940 showed a 60 percent reduction of dental cavities in areas where water was treated with fluoride. However, recent studies don’t show such a drastic difference between fluoridated areas and non-fluoridated areas. Mainly due to dental practices among individuals and eating habits. This new found evidence, and the overwhelming evidence that over exposure to fluoride carries risks such as fluorosis, cancer, and bone fracture, have sparked some controversy. In Canada, for instance, The Fluoride Action Network have made a major push to end water fluoridation all together. Currently 60 percent of Canada has stopped fluoridation and it seems the rest of the country will follow. Locally, New York city councilor Peter Vallone has introduced legislation “prohibiting the addition of fluoride to the water supply.” If this legislation passes, it would spark the rest of our counrty to follow.
Despite the fact that 170 million Americans now drink fluoridated water every day, we continue to have little understanding on how the consequent contamination of our food and water with fluoride is affecting bone health. While we know that fluoride at high doses clearly harms bone, and while there are several worrying indications that similar harm is occurring at the lower levels that Americans regularly ingest, the absence of competent research by U.S. health authorities has enabled many basic, fundamental questions to remain unanswered. Until researchers feel free to report adverse findings on fluoride without fear of losing their funding, this situation is likely to persist, to the possible peril of millions of American’s bone health.
One thing is certain, the risks of fluoride exposure outweighs the benefits. Inform yourself, check out www.mercola.com and our website at www.aacfamilywellness.com for more on fluoride and other current health issues. Stay up to date, join us on facebook at www.facebook.com/aacwellness and Twitter at www.twitter.com/aacwellness. We are committed to educate our community and bring health and wellness to you and your family! As always Be Well!