Australia - Forget fluoride - try turmeric

An anti-fluoride campaigner says an orange powder used in curries is the answer to great oral care.Dharampal Pahuja says turmeric, a spice common in South Asian cuisine, is a suitable substitute for the chemical.
"Turmeric has been known for centuries to be a safe antiseptic spice with anti-inflammatory effects," says the Hillsborough biochemist. "It's not a new thing, it's an age-old remedy." A 40 gram box of the spice can be bought at any supermarket for less than $2."This could help in killing the bacteria so that no acids are formed," Dr Pahuja says."This is due to its active ingredient, curcumin, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties." Dr Pahuja contacted the Central Leader to promote the effects of turmeric after reading about health officials pushing to put fluoride in Onehunga's water supply.It's on a list of projects planned for the 2007-08 financial year that went before an Auckland District Health Board committee meeting in April.Auckland region principal dental officer Sathananthan Kanagaratnam told the Central Leader in April the move would reduce the number of preschoolers with serious tooth decay.He says 2005 school dental clinic figures showed five-year-olds who didn't drink fluoridated water had 8 percent more cavities and decay than those who did.
Dr Kanagaratnam says there is no evidence of harmful effects except fluorosis, a mottling and pitting of the tooth enamel.Onehunga's groundwater bore supply has never been fluoridated, and a 2001 postal survey showed 62 percent of residents wanted it to stay that way.But Dr Pahuja shares the view of Auckland city councillor John Hinchcliff and endorses international studies proving fluoride's toxic effects.
"I'm really surprised that many New Zealand water supplies have fluoride," Dr Pahuja says.In February Dr Hinchcliff asked the council's work and services committee to stop adding fluoride to Auckland's water supply while experts considered the evidence.But the committee rejected the proposal, which also asked for a citywide referendum and warning signs on fluoride tablets, toothpaste and mouth rinses.
"Fluoride is a poison," Dr Pahuja says.
He says effective brushing, flossing and a pinch of turmeric on the teeth and gums each night has more impact on oral health than fluoride.But oral care is not the only good use for the spice, he says."Grandma always used turmeric for quite a few problems like colds, body aches, injuries and wound healing and we regularly use it," Dr Pahuja says.