http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-2-16/66048.html

Is Water Fluoridation Ethical?
By Dr. John Briffa
Special to The Epoch Times Feb 16, 2008
If fluoride is in the water, it can cause dental fluorosis and possibly other health problems. (Photos.com)
Alan Johnson, the U.K. Health Minister, has recently called for the practice of water fluoridation to be extended in Britain. Currently, the U.K. pipes fluoridated water to about 10 percent of the population.

The new proposals would, we are told, reduce current dental decay. To support this, we are reminded that dental decay rates in Manchester (where the tap water is non-fluoridated) are about twice those in Birmingham (where the water has been fluoridated for 40-odd years). This impressive-sounding statistic becomes a little less impressive when you consider that it may really be no more scientifically tenable that the observation that because Japanese men smoke a lot but are generally long-lived, smoking must be good for us. If the government, aided and abetted by the British Dental Association and other pro-fluoride groups, wanted to make a case for water fluoridation, then they could do worse than to refer to real science.

The most comprehensive review of this practice was published in the British Medical Journal in the year 2000 [1] and is commonly referred to as the York Study. The review found that just one in six individuals drinking fluoridated water appears to benefit from the practice.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that this level of effectiveness is quite disappointing in comparison to the almost panacea-like image so often painted for fluoride. And what's more, the York Study revealed that about half the individuals who drink fluoridated water will suffer from dental fluorosis, that is, mottling and discoloration of the teeth caused by excess fluoride. A more recent review of the evidence also found similar rates of dental fluorosis [2].

So, let's just be clear about this: The best available evidence we have is that water fluoridation reduces dental disease for one in six, but causes dental problems for one in two. Now, when you start to look at this cold hard fact about water fluoridation, it perhaps comes as no surprise that those who support water fluoridation like to stay clear of the science. Much better for them to draw comparisons between dental decay rates in Manchester and Birmingham and hope that no one notices what nonsense—and just how much a distortion of the truth—this may be. But wait, it gets worse. Fluoride is potentially toxic not only to the teeth, but also to other parts of the body, including the bones, brain, and endocrine (hormonal) system. More information on the potential hazards of fluoride can be found on the Fluoride Action Network Web site [3]. And here's another thing: The practice of water fluoridation basically amounts to mass medication of the population. Some would say that's an infringement of civil liberties. And thinking about this a little more deeply, we see that water fluoridation is mass medication that takes no account of the medical history of the individual or their need for the "medication."

Furthermore, the "dose" of this medication (which has very real potential for harm) is not specified or monitored in any way. The dose of fluoride that people ingest from tap water is, after all, essentially determined by thirst. Does any of this seem like good, effective, safe, and ethical healthcare to you? It doesn't to me.

References:

1. McDonagh M, et al. Systematic Review of Water Fluoridation. British Medical Journal 2000; 321: 855–859 2. Pizza G, et al. Community water fluoridation and caries prevention: a critical review. Clinical Oral Investigation 2007; 11(3): 189–193 3. http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based doctor and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine.
Dr. Briffa's Web site