Daily Mail - long list of cancer-causing chemicals includes fluoride.
Fluoride
But the most controversial ingredient in toothpaste is fluoride. Many of us buy fluoride-containing toothpastes in the belief they will protect our teeth. There is, according to Pat Thomas, little convincing scientific evidence to support this.
She says fluoride is in fact a poison — there is enough fluoride in the average-sized tube of family toothpaste to kill a small child if ingested. For this reason, she says, the American Food and Drug Administration and the Swedish National Food Administration require toothpaste containing fluoride to be labelled with a 'poison' warning.
She says fluoride can cause allergic-type reactions, and is a suspect in a host of illnesses, including bone problems, diabetes, thyroid malfunction and mental impairment. Young children have a tendency to swallow toothpaste — and it is for this reason that family toothpastes (which generally contain the highest amounts of fluoride) are considered unsuitable for children under eight. Remember, it's not the paste, but the brush that cleans your teeth. Equally, it's not how hard you brush, but how long and how thoroughly. You should spend at least a minute gently but thoroughly brushing your teeth every morning and night. Choose a good quality, soft-medium brush h with lots of filaments packed tightly together. Replace it regularly at the first sign of wear. If you want to use toothpaste — use a low fluoride paste (around 500 parts per million)and use less. A pea-sized blob is all you need.
If you can't find a low flluoride paste, look at children's brands — there's nothing, apart from aesthetics, to stop you using one.
But the most controversial ingredient in toothpaste is fluoride. Many of us buy fluoride-containing toothpastes in the belief they will protect our teeth. There is, according to Pat Thomas, little convincing scientific evidence to support this.
She says fluoride is in fact a poison — there is enough fluoride in the average-sized tube of family toothpaste to kill a small child if ingested. For this reason, she says, the American Food and Drug Administration and the Swedish National Food Administration require toothpaste containing fluoride to be labelled with a 'poison' warning.
She says fluoride can cause allergic-type reactions, and is a suspect in a host of illnesses, including bone problems, diabetes, thyroid malfunction and mental impairment. Young children have a tendency to swallow toothpaste — and it is for this reason that family toothpastes (which generally contain the highest amounts of fluoride) are considered unsuitable for children under eight. Remember, it's not the paste, but the brush that cleans your teeth. Equally, it's not how hard you brush, but how long and how thoroughly. You should spend at least a minute gently but thoroughly brushing your teeth every morning and night. Choose a good quality, soft-medium brush h with lots of filaments packed tightly together. Replace it regularly at the first sign of wear. If you want to use toothpaste — use a low fluoride paste (around 500 parts per million)and use less. A pea-sized blob is all you need.
If you can't find a low flluoride paste, look at children's brands — there's nothing, apart from aesthetics, to stop you using one.
posted by Bill at
10:30 AM
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