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UK Against Fluoridation

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Fluoride Supplements Unnecessary & Harmful

Fluoride Supplements Unnecessary & Harmful, studies showdiscolors teeth without decay reduction05.30.2009 – "There is weak and inconsistent evidence that the use of fluoride supplements prevents dental caries [cavities] in primary teeth," according to a systematic review of fluoride supplement research published in the November 2008 Journal of the American Dental Association. The authors could find only one study, from China, showing any fluoride benefit to primary teeth and that study was probably biased with a high withdrawal rate, the authors write.

Further, mild-to-moderate dental fluorosis (white spotted and/or yellow teeth) is a significant fluoride supplement side effect, the researchers write.

Fluoride supplements, although a prescription drug, have never been FDA [Food and Drug Administration] tested for safety or effectiveness because sodium fluoride was on the market pre-1938 before FDA testing laws were enacted.(1)

In 2007, the American Dental Association (ADA) reported on its website that fluoride supplements put children six and under at significant risk of permanently discolored teeth; but never shared that information with the American public, pediatricians or MD's who prescribe fluoride supplements. (2)

Fluoride supplements, in graduating amounts up to 1 mg daily, are often prescribed to children who don't drink fluoridated water,ostensibly to reduce tooth decay.

"This review confirmed that in non-fluoridated communities the use of fluoride supplements during the first 6 years of life is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing dental fluorosis, write researchers Ismail & Bandekar and first published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, February 1999, (3) but posted to the ADA's website July 2007.

Fluoride ingestion, once thought to reduce cavities, can lead to dental fluorosis - white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted tooth enamel. Modern science indicates fluoride absorbs into tooth enameltopically, primarily.(4)

"So there is no good reason to swallow fluoride via supplements or the water supply," says attorney Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.

Studies link dental fluorosis to children's kidney damage (5) and bonefractures (6).

"While fluoride ingestion is proclaimed a significant cavity reducer, there is no valid science to support that," says Beeber.

Up to 48% of school children sport dental fluorosis (discolored teeth), the outward sign of fluoride toxicity,
according to the CDC.(7)

In the Fall 1999 Journal of Public Health Dentistry, dental researcher and former dental journal editor Brian A. Burt, Ph.D., M.P.H., B.D.Sc., University of Michigan Emeritus Professor, writes:

"It is therefore concluded that the risks of using supplements in infants and young children outweigh the benefits. Because alternative forms of fluoride for high-risk individuals exist, fluoride supplements should
no longer be used for young children in North America."(8)

References:

1) August 2000 letter from NJ Assemblyman Kelly to Senator Robert Smith http://www.fluoridealert.org/fda.htm

2) http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/ebd/reviews/fluoride_supplements.asp

3) "Fluoride supplements and fluorosis: a meta-analysis," Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology, 1999 Feb;27(1):48-56, by Ismail & Bandekar .

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=10086926

4) http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5014a1.htm

5) "Dose-effect relationship between drinking water fluoride levels and damage to liver and kidney functions in children," Environmental Research,2007 Jan;103(1):112-6. Epub 2006 Jul 10, by Xiong, et. al

http://tinyurl.com/34lj92

6) "Dental and Early-State Skeletal Fluorosis in Children Induced by Fluoride in Brick-Tea," Fluoride 2005;38(1):44-47 Cao, et. al
http://www.fluorideresearch.org/381/files/38144-47.pdf

7) http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/figures/s403a1t23.gif

8) "The case for eliminating the use of dietary fluoride supplements
for young children," Journal of Public Health Dentistry, Fall 1999, by
Burt

http://tinyurl.com/2bnoff

Canada - What is Your View on Fluoridation?

Thunder Bay, ON -- The Thunder Bay District Health Unit has started an awareness campaign on the issue of fluoride in Thunder Bay's water supply. The campaign has consisted of media campaign featuring ads in the traditional media, postcards, and a website to promote the effort.

The TBDHU states, "Our 2007 Thunder Bay District Health Unit survey showed that most people in our city support community water fluoridation. We also learned that some are against it and others are not sure. Through this web site, we will provide the facts so that the people who aren’t sure will be able to make up their minds about this important health issue".

The addition of fluoride into the city's drinking water is an issue is one that has been, in the past, voted down repeatedly by the people of Thunder Bay.

In today's ever health conscious society, the addition of chemicals to our diet is a concern to many. Having the opportunity for full scale discussions on the issue that allows our residents to make an informed decision is a worthwhile exercise.

The TBDHU has, on the website ThunderBayFluoride.ca includes a discussion forum where people can offer both sides. There are, so far 150 active members on the discussion forum.

Those opposed to the inclusion of fluoride in our water supply do not have access to the same budget that the TBDHU has in getting the word out. There is a Facebook Group titled Concerned Citizens of Thunder Bay Against Water Fluoridation.

On Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 at 7:00PM in Lecture Theatre Rm.351 at Confederation College there will be a public meeting offering information for the public. That meeting is presented by those opposed to water fluoridation.

NetNewsledger.com in an effort to assist the issue being raised in the community has extended the opportunity to both sides of the issue to provide their information to our readers. Both sides are welcome to present their information.
Brenda Pressenger who is opposed to the addition of fluoride in our drinking water supplied NetNewsledger.com with this commentary:

We are aware that dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants are hardworking, dedicated professionals. They are busy in their careers and may not have had the time to keep up with the latest research and studies or the reading of Dental Journals, which indicate that water fluoridation does not work and that it is not safe. They may not have known, as many others that I have talked to, that water fluoridation is a toxic industrial waste that contains heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury, not the pharmaceutical grade fluoride that they use in their offices for teeth protection. As well, they may not have known that at least 50% of all ingested fluoride remains in the tissues of the body including the skeletal system and accumulates over time.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the on going IOWA Fluoride Study (started in 1992 which follows a group of children from birth, reported in the fall of 2008 Journal of Public Health Dentistry), both stated that the application of pharmaceutical grade high concentration fluoride (NAF) directly on the tooth surface is effective in preventing cavities.

Swallowing the low concentration, industrial grade fluoride(HFSA) in drinking water does not prevent cavities. There is no need, therefore, to expose all other tissues to fluoride by swallowing it. This information was first presented as the cover story in the prestigious Journal of the American Dental Association in July 2000.

There are also Canadian studies that demonstrate that water fluoridation doesn't work.

One such study is the Statistical Analysis of Survey Data 2007 by Dick (Ito)DDS, MSc-President of the Ontario Association of Public Health Dentistry, which demonstrated no benefit from water fluoridation: "We found virtually no difference in caries (cavities) prevalence or severity between 7 year old children from schools in non-fluoridated Caledon and schools matched on socio-economic factors, in fluoridated Brampton, Ontario."

Another study was by A. Azarpazhooh and Dr. Hazel Stewart on the Consequences of the Cessation of Water Fluoridation in Toronto. Dr. Hazel Stewart DDS,MP,-Chief Dental Officer for Toronto, found that North American communities that discontinued fluoridation did not experience an increase of dental caries and that these communities actually experienced a reduction in the incidence of dental caries in both absolute terms and relative to communities that continued to fluoridate their drinking water.

These recent and very relevant research and studies state that artificial water fluoridation does not work, therefore, water fluoridation does not provide a health benefit.

Actually, it causes dental harm. I wonder why the dentists or the Thunder Bay District Health Unit have not mentioned dental fluorosis in any of their articles. I guess, perhaps, that they have had very little experience with dental fluorosis since we do not use water fluoridation as opposed to the dentists in fluoridated cities.

48% of the children in Oakville. Ontario, a city that has water fluoridation, have dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis occurs when a child ingests too much fluoride during early childhood years causing damage to the tooth-forming cells leading to a permanent defect in the enamel.

Teeth with fluorosis have visible discolourization from white spots to brown and black stains and in the more severe cases there is extensive pitting, chipping, fracturing and decay of teeth...all signs of overdosing on fluoride. Along with this, it is well proven that other tissues of the body also will be affected.

There are NO toxilogical safety studies to date that demonstrates that the addition of the industrial grade fluoride, Hydrofluorosilicic Acid, even worse with its added cocktail of arsenic, lead, mercury and more, is safe.

It is NOT SAFE for those who are allergic to fluoride, not safe for those who have kidney disease, not safe for those that consume large amounts of fluoridated water-diabetics, athletes, lactating mothers,etc., not safe for children, in fact, not safe for anyone. Municipal drinking water should be safe for everyone.

Not all dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants in Thunder Bay endorse water fluoridation. Water fluoridation is opposed by a growing number of dentists, doctors and researchers, such as, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). CAPE, after an extended exploration of the peer-reviewed literature on the subject, over a number of years, does not support fluoridation of drinking water "on the basis of "the weight of evidence", we believe that fluoridation of drinking water is scientifically untenable, and should not be a part of a public health initiative or program'. The Thunder Bay Medical Society, when requested to support water fluoridation, chose not to. As well, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Professionals and 26 other organizations across Canada oppose water fluoridation. The president of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment, Dr. Vyvyan Howard, PhD,M.D., traveled to Canada in 2008 to present 23 research papers demonstrating neurotoxic effects of fluoridated water and urged policy makers to discontinue this practice.

The Dental Healthcare Providers have been misinformed, and misled, and need to take a more in depth look at the industrial waste product itself, its potential harm and the harm it has caused in the past. A good place to start researching is fluoridealert.org and to Google WHMS-Fluorosilicics.
Brenda Pressenger

India - LIVE MAGAZINE SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: The great carbon credit con

In the fields around this giant chemicals factory in Gujarat, the barren soil smells of paint stripper and the water from the well makes you gag. So why has it been given tens of millions of pounds of taxpayer-funded UN ‘green reward points’, which are traded hungrily on the financial markets at huge profit?
By Nadene Ghouri
Last updated at 10:20 PM on 30th May 2009 .........................................

Click title to see report

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Fluoride Linked to Bone Cancer

Fluoride Linked to Bone Cancer, Yet AgainAnother Study Links Fluoride to Osteosarcoma05.29.2009 – Blood fluoride levels were significantly higher in patients with osteosarcoma than in control groups, according to research published in Biological Trace Element Research (April 2009). Osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, occurs mostly in children and young adults.

Sandhu and colleagues measured serum fluoride levels in three equal groups of age-matched and sex-matched patients. Group one had osteosarcoma; group two had non-osteosarcoma bone tumors; and group three had musculo-skeletal pain. (1)

“Mean serum fluoride concentration was found to be significantly higher in patients with osteosarcoma as compared to the other two groups,” write Sandhu’s team. “(T)his report proves a link between raised fluoride levels in serum and osteosarcoma,” they write.

This reinforces a 2006 published Harvard study by Bassin showing a link between water fluoridation and osteosarcoma in young boys. (2)

A 1992 New Jersey Department of Health study shows osteosarcoma rates higher among young males in fluoridated vs. unfluoridated regions of New Jersey. (3)

More studies link fluoride to bone and other cancers but are downplayed or ignored by government officials. (4)(5)

Bone defects similar to bone cancer were detected in fluoridated Newburgh NY children as early as 1955. Newburgh is home of the first human health fluoridation experiment begun in 1945.

According to Christopher Bryson in The Fluoride Deception. “A radiologist, Dr. John Caffey of Columbia University, called the defects ‘striking’ in their ‘similarity’ to bone cancer… and seen more than twice as frequently among boys in Newburgh as among boys in nonfluoridated Kingston [the control city].” (6)

In 2006, the prestigious National Research Council review of fluoride/fluoridation toxicology found a fluoride/bone cancer link plausible.

“If governments truly want to save money, stopping fluoridation is a no-brainer. It would save money, preserve health and teeth,” says attorney Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation.

In 2005, 11 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employee unions, representing over 7000 environmental and public health professionals called for a moratorium on fluoridation programs across the country and asked EPA management to recognize fluoride as posing a serious risk of causing cancer in people. (7)

In addition, 2,470 professionals urge the US Congress to stop fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted, citing scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks. See statement:

http://www.fluoridealert.org/statement.august.2007.html

UK - Fluoride in water study set to raisehackles

Published Date: 30 May 2009
By Jonathan Reed Political Editor
A STUDY is to be carried out into adding fluoride to drinking water in Yorkshire after pleas from two health trusts concerned about the state of children's teeth.
The region-wide feasibility study is being commissioned at the request of the West Yorkshire trusts who believe fluoridation may be the best way of improving dental health.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson last year urged all parts of the country to consider fluoridation which the Government says is "safe and cost effective" and ensures children in deprived areas – who have more rotten teeth – are helped.

But any prospect of fluoridating Yorkshire's supplies will also outrage opponents who have concerns over the health effects, question the evidence of its effectiveness and object to the blanket addition of the mineral.

Calder Valley MP Chris McCafferty, who sits on an all-party group against fluoridation, said: "I've always been opposed to fluoridation of water. It's medication without consent or dosage regulation and anyone who wishes may obtain fluoride tablets at the chemist or buy fluoride toothpaste.

"We've fought it off before and we'll continue to oppose it."

Earlier this year a study found that up to 30,000 children a year are admitted to hospital in this country for tooth decay and extraction, and the number is rising. Experts said the data highlighted a "major public health issue" after they found a large increase in the number of children admitted since 1997.

In February, South Central Strategic Health Authority decided to fluoridate water in its area, and now Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority (SHA) has ordered the feasibility study after being asked to do so by primary care trusts in Bradford and Airedale and Kirklees.

It will consider whether fluoridation is appropriate, affordable and possible, and will consider whether specific areas can be targeted or whether the entire Yorkshire Water area would have to be treated. If the study is positive, a major public consultation would have to be launched before it can go ahead.

In his letter to the SHA, Kirklees primary care trust chief executive Mike Potts said oral health of young children in parts of the district was "very poor" and current efforts to tackle poor dental health in deprived areas had "had some impact".

He added: "However the previous experience of parts of
Huddersfield receiving fluoridated water during the 1970s and 80s demonstrated that decay levels were lower then and fluoridation had benefits for deprived as well as more affluent communities."

He said the trust's board had considered the case for and against fluoridation "in some detail" and that it had decided "on the balance of the evidence available" fluoridation would bring valuable dental health benefits.

The chief executive of Bradford and Airedale PCT, Simon Morritt, said in his letter that in 2006, five-year-olds in the area had the highest levels of dental disease in the region, and added: "There is a need to establish the feasibility and cost benefit of water fluoridation in Yorkshire and the Humber."

Replying to Mr Potts, the interim chief executive of the SHA, Barbara Hakin, said: "The study we are commissioning on your behalf will address your request: it will access whether it is feasible to focus a water supply topped up with fluoride on a particular area and estimate how much this would cost to achieve."

Last night a Strategic Health Authority spokesman said: "The study is the first stage of an extensive process and will establish if topping up the natural level of fluoride is technically feasible."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Dental decay is far worse in poorer communities than affluent ones. Fluoridation reduces these inequalities. Academic studies show that dental health is far better in areas where tapwater is already fluoridated."

Yorkshire Water said it did not add fluoride at the moment because it was not needed to improve drinking water quality, and said it was aware of divided public opinion over ethics and health benefits although it will have no say in whether the mineral is added.

UK - Southampton Daily Echo

Will fluoridation failsafe safely checks really work?
THE Echo reported (Fluoride fear after chemical blunder, May 21) that a Southern Water spokeswoman said stringent safety checks will be put in place to ensure dosing errors cannot happen, this was to assure us that the overdose of fluoride in Australia could not happen here. "Systems will be designed to be failsafe," she added.
The same assurance was given by the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia. They assured Australians that fluoridation installations have multiple failsafe devices including day tanks, dual flow sensing switches, online monitoring, automatic shut downs, and other protections in place.
The above did not save parts of Brisbane being overdosed and unless informed not to drink it there is no way of knowing that the water was poisoned. If it was chlorine or aluminium you would detect it and could filter it out but not fluoride.
How can we stop this madness brought about by 12 quango members of the Strategic Health Authority when 72 per cent of the people said NO to fluoridation?
BILL EDMUNDS, Hampshire Against Fluoridation.

Don't run the Risk
There have been well over 10,000 signatures against fluoride going into our water supply, so why doesn't the health authority get the message that we don't want it.
If we were the democratic country we profess to be, then fluoride would (Missing not) be being added to tap water.
We have already had things go wrong in Australia with their monitoring system which was supposed to have been safe.
We don't want the risk of overdose, we want our water left alone. I want to know I can drink water to help wash toxins from my body not put them in.
I am very angry that they think that they can mess with our water. They are supposed to be the health authorities, but they are making people ill with the stress.
I always thought that a lot of things going on are completely mad, but to mess with our water is a crime in itself. Can't man just leave some things alone.
MRS KINCH.

Read this book
I STRONGLY object to fluoride being added to our water supply. I suggest that the people in the NHS read a book called Fluoride by Barry Groves.
In this book which I am still wading through it tells us that 1) fluoride can actually kill. It can cause genetic and chromosomal damage to our body cells, 2) it can cause bone cancer and prostrate cancer in men, 3) fluoride can damage the central nervous system, 4) has links to Alzheimer's disease and low IQ. These are just a few instances. There are many more. We should be allowed a vote on this issue. Why should a few officials be able to tell us what we have to have in our drinking water?
MRS TM TANCOCK, Southampton

Accidents can-and will-happen
I READ your article "Fluoride fear after chemical blunder" on May 21, about people near Brisbane in Australia, accidentally being given 30 times the "safe" level of artificial fluoride in their tap water.
There have been several fluoride overfeeds in USA water supplies in recent years. In Hooper Bay, Alaska, a man died and 260 people were ill after a fluoride overdose in tap water. Dublin suffered a fluoridated overdose in June 2002 when 23 people were made ill.
It is not always possible to ensure that one part per million of this chemical stays the same for all
houses. Tests by government laboratories showed that fluoride can accumulate in sediment in pipe bends and valves. For details of overdoses visit: fluoridealert.org/ health/accidents/fluoridation or Google the words "fluoride deaths"
Sooner or later it is probable that there will be a human or mechanical failure. This happened in Camelford in Cornwall when many residents received an overdose of toxic aluminium from their tap water. This could have been even more serious if the chemical involved was fluorosili-cic acid (fluoride).
A. WILLS, Ruislip.

Real poll needed
THE issue of fluoridation does not affect me very much as I hardly ever drink tap water.
However, I believe that individuals are better placed to listen to their bodies, than people detached from the environment in which the individual lives.
I can think of several things which other people say are good for you which my body rejects and I can well understand that some people might have an allergy to fluoride, a strong chemical.
I am pleased that Hampshire County Council and Eastleigh Council, the two local authorities I have most dealings with, voted against fluoridation, and I respect their ability to represent the views of local people.
There are three points I would like to make
• If fluoridation is introduced and the number of dentists is increased as a result, then it would be easy to attribute improvements in dental health to fluoridation, when in fact the reason is the increase in the number of dentists.
• The Strategic Health Authority places great emphasis on its telephone poll, but I have usually found telephone surveys unreliable.
• There can be no margin for error if the scheme goes ahead. If people are affected by an accident similar to what occurred in Australia only once in their entire lifetime, they will certainly remember it for the rest of their life.
I would like to have a further ballot, with people being able to cast votes, in an similar way to an election.
MALCOLM CLARKE,

Friday, May 29, 2009

USA _ Children in poverty have twice the odds of having tooth decay

Dental | Children's Health Fund
"Children in poverty have twice the odds of having tooth decay, twice the extent of decay, twice the unmet treatment need, twice the pain experience, but half the access to dental care than their more affluent peers."

NYSCOF After 60+ years of water fluoridation, 50+ years of fluoridated toothpaste, decades of dentist-applied fluoride treatments and supplements and now fluoride varnish.

Fluoride makes you Fat - STOP DRINKING IT - STOP USING FLUORIDATED TOOTHPASTE

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Australia - Fluoride coming to town this year

GLADSTONE area residents can expect to have fluoride in their water by December 31.
Not everybody in the Gladstone region will consider fluoridation as the ideal present, but the State Government will deliver it at Christmas as part of its mandatory fluoridation of public water supplies.
Gladstone is the first regional area, along with Rockhampton, to have the benefit or the bane, depending on your viewpoint, of fluoridation.
The Gladstone area Water Board has called for companies to tender for the design, supply, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning for a fluoride dosing plant. The installations will be at the Gladstone and the Yarwun Water treatment plants to a concentration of 0.7mg/L.
GAWB CEO Jim Grayson said GAWB was required to comply with the government initiative. He said as the government had agreed to fund fluoridation there would be no cost to its customers, which in this case is Gladstone Regional Council.
According to the State Government, water fluoridation helps protect teeth against decay in people of all ages and is a fair way of delivering the benefits of fluoride to the community.
The World Health Organisation supports the use of fluoride and its addition to water supplies is also backed by doctors and dentists. But others in the medical field have expressed doubts about its effectiveness.
Former Federal Health Minister, Dr Doug Everingham a one time supporter of fluoridation, is now an opponent of the practice, saying fluoride medication could lead to cases of disorders in humans and animals.

Australia - TROUBLED WATERS: Kerry Weinholz wonders if fluoride is good for either our teeth or our oceans.

Flow on effect of fluoride
Ren Lanzon | 28th May 2009
Kerry Weinholz wants to know what possible benefit fluoride will be to the Great Barrier Reef where most of the chemical will end up.
“We'll drink less than one per cent of the fluoridated water so it will either build up in our soils or get washed out to sea,” she said.
“What's out there (in the ocean) that needs fluoride? Will it strengthen the bones of fish and the teeth of sharks?”
Kerry is also doubtful if fluoridating the water supply is the best way to protect the teeth of young children or if it is necessary in their diet at all.
“I make the comparison between my diet on the farm on tank water and milk and the diet my kids have been subjected to know the difference.
“In our generation we were given a bottle of milk for the calcium to build strong teeth.”
Kerry said that option was better than pouring fluoride in our waterways and it also helped the Australian dairy industry.
She said instead the government put impositions on farmers to have them reduce the fertiliser and chemicals that make their way to the ocean.
“If fluoride affects the barrier reef, will they impose even more controls and paperwork on the farmers for something they did not do?”

Australia - Fertiliser firm to fluoridate region

Fertiliser firm to fluoridate region
Jessica Benton
28th May 2009 03:21:41 PM
GEELONG fertiliser company Incitec Pivot will provide fluoride for the region’s water supply despite plans to close its North Shore plant, according to the company.
Incitec Pivot’s Stewart Murrihy said the company would continue producing flurosilicic acid at Portland after closing the plant.
“We can guarantee that we will continue to be able to supply flurosilicic acid,” Mr Murrihy said.
The iconic Geelong fertiliser plant will shut on June 30 amid falling demand for fertiliser.
A spokesman for the Department of Human Services confirmed Pivot would supply flurosilicic acid for addition to the region’s tap water.
The spokesman said fluoride was “a naturally occurring mineral” sourced from natural deposits in Victoria.
The Independent reported earlier this month that a Geelong anti-fluoridation group expected the chemical to start flowing through the water supply as early as July. A DHS spokesperon told the Independent fluoridation of the region would begin in the “second half of the year”.

UK - Dundee University team to lead £2.78m child tooth-decay studysix-year programme

Dundee University team to lead £2.78m child tooth-decay studysix-year programme will look at treatment methods
By Mark Dowie
Published: 28/05/2009
RESEARCHERS at Dundee University are to lead a £2.78million national study into the best way to tackle tooth decay in children.
Gail Topping, Nicola Innes and Jan Clark from the school of dentistry will lead a team of experts from universities in Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Newcastle and Sheffield.
The study will look at three different treatments for decay in children’s baby teeth.
The six-year programme, which includes children across the country aged between three and seven years old, is being carried out on behalf of the National Institute for Health Research.
The three methods the team will assess will be the treatment of tooth decay with conventional fillings, biological treatment or using only preventive techniques recommended in national guidance.
Biological treatment involves a process of sealing the decay into teeth with filling materials or under crowns, generally without the need to use injections or dental drills.
Preventative methods focus on better toothbrushing, reducing the child’s sugar intake, and the application of high-fluoride varnish and fissure sealants.
Research will also take into account children’s thoughts on the different types of treatments.
Miss Topping said treatment varies widely across the UK and there is no conclusive evidence for the most effective approach.
She said: “This trial will enable a clear recommendation to be made regarding the important question of how decayed baby teeth should best be managed in primary dental care.”
Dental decay is one of the most common childhood diseases, with more than 40% of children in the UK already experiencing obvious decay in their baby teeth by the age of five.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Film for the promotion of fluoride.



If it was that good why in state-mandated fluoridated Illinois is there such a record of dental decay? There is no mention of fluorosis or the additional pollutants that come with hexafluorosilicic acid including arsenic and mercury. No mention that fluoride only works topically. No mention of the many thyroid problems and other risks such as cancer. Very convincing though if you didn't know anything about the issue.

USA - Fluoridation is state-mandated in Illinois:NYSCOF

Support Bill HB 388 for dental care
May 21, 2009
Thousands of low-income children and adults in Illinois suffer from untreated dental disease. They can't eat or sleep properly, do their best at school or work or smile and are at risk for other serious health problems. All because of a disease that could easily have been prevented and could easily be treated.
We applaud Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-24th, for introducing legislation that would fund much needed improvements to Illinois' dental care system, dramatically increasing the number of people receiving dental care, through a modest increase in the sales tax on soft drinks.
Under an amendment to HB 388, revenues generated from a 5 percent statewide soft drink sales tax would fund dental clinics in underserved areas and increase funding for Medicaid dental coverage. Illinois has among the lowest rates in the nation for government funded dental care. As a result we face an oral health care crisis.
Dental clinics have closed and services have been sharply reduced, all while the need for government-funded dental care has dramatically increased due to the economic downturn and massive job loss. Illinois currently has just one clinic per 8,400 children who rely on government insurance.
On average, each American drinks 53 gallons of soda a year, and the consumption of soft drinks in general has increased 500 percent in the past 50 years. Soft drinks have no nutritional value and pose many oral and overall health risks, including enamel loss and obesity.
By taking advantage of a 50 percent federal match, this increase in sales tax will generate as much as $91 million for oral health care programs. Enough to help millions of children and adults gain access to much needed dental services.
HB 388 will help end a lot of needless suffering among the most vulnerable Illinoisans. I urge you to tell your legislator to support this bill. The future of healthy smiles depends on it.
Lauri Frichtl Executive Director Illinois Head Start

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Obama Administration to Implement Government Flu Shot Program??



Trust your government, trust your health officials? Not any more.

USA - Fluoridated Babies

Fluoridated Babies
By voodoobob
Posted May 25, 2009 at 1:24 p.m.
I was in gerbes the other day and happened to go down the "baby formula" isle, where they sell junk food for babies which keeps them from their mother's breast and loving embrace and sets them up for a lifetime of immunological, nutritional, psychological and intellectual deficits not experienced by breast-fed babies. A stroke of marketing genius which no doubt ensures a steady income for the purveyors of treatments - er - "health".

In any case, mid-way down the isle on the bottom shelf I found gallons of "drinking water" specifically formulated for infants. And what magic ingredient made this water better for babies? Fluoride!

Babies don't have their adult teeth, or in many cases any teeth at all. Yet even the ADA admits that floride's tooth strengthening action requires TOPICAL application, not systemic infusion.

http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/teeth/caries/topical-systemic.html

And this "evidenced based medicine" is occurring when we have epidemics of osteoperosis and altzheimers in the elderly, and ADHD and early puberty in the young.

http://www.fluoridealert.org/sc.am.jan.2008.html

Dartmouth researchers found a connection between fluoride and increased lead uptake in children.

http://www.fluoridation.com/lead.htm

and other research has linked fluoride to aluminum crossing the blood-brain barrier (altzheimers) and lowered IQ in children

http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/brain/

The ADA has yet to respond to the scientific american article published over a year ago:

http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=2815

Could their silence be related to the ADA's profitable "seal of approval" on various fluoride products such as toothpaste, which they market to manufacturers just like any other profit-seeking huckster?

http://www.ada.org/ada/prod/smilehealthy/manufacturers_sh.asp

Meanwhile the EPA tried to stifle dissent in the ranks of their scientists regarding water fluoridation.

http://www.fluoridation.com/epa.htm

http://www.fluoridation.com/epa2.htm

Perhaps all this pales in comparison to the mercury filling scandal, but it still ought to be of concern to parents. Someone should ask the columbia water works whether their repeated "over-fluoridation" accidents might be causing more problems than just discolored teeth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Oxe2eFkAI

Reader comments
nyscof says...
What's even more incredible is that the FDA disallows fluoridated water to be marketed toward infant use, yet nursery water does just that.

No laws stick to fluoride - not even the laws of nature - because organized dentistry says no one can be allergic or intolerant of fluoride. Fluoride is the only drug without side effects. Amazing.

2,470 professionals urge congress to stop fluoridation

Join them at http://congress.FluorideAction.Net

Australia - Mother's warning against fluoride

Mother's warning against fluoride
Lee Gailer | 26th May 2009
A FAMILY who lost their son and brother to fluoride poisoning has grave concerns about the State Government's decision to add fluoride to Queensland's water supplies.
For the past 37 years, Kathy Grinter has fought to have her son's death recognised as a death from fluoride poisoning in an effort to warn the public of the possible dangers. She told The Gympie Times all her efforts so far had been shut down.
No inquest was held into the death of one-and-a-half year-old toddler Jason Paul Burton however, in black and white on the baby's death certificate and the post mortem examination report, it clearly states the cause of Jason's death was fluoride poisoning.
“I have hit brick walls at every turn trying to bring what happened to my son out in the open,” Ms Grinter said.
“All I want is my son's death acknowledged and recorded as a death from fluoride poisoning so at least people can make their own decisions about this poison, based on facts and not lies, deceit and cover-ups.”
Ms Grinter has been told by the Dental Association and various government departments that all the legal documents she has are fraudulent and her son's death could not possibly have been caused by fluoride. She's been called a liar and told to stop talking rubbish, but Mrs Grinter says she won't be bullied by the government or “so-called experts” into giving up.
“I can't believe I am the only person in Australia to have a bad experience with this toxic substance. Every other country in the world where fluoride has been added to the water has statistics on deaths or illnesses caused by fluoride. Don't you think it's strange Australia doesn't?”
Ms Grinter said all the documents on her son's death were handed to Premier Anna Bligh by the anti-fluoride lobby.
The reports state the child had been given half a fluoride tablet a day as instructed by a doctor and on the day of his death he had found the bottle and swallowed an unidentified quantity of fluoride tablets. Four tablets were found in Jason's stomach and doctors said his symptoms were consistent to fluoride intoxication.
A coroner's report stated the most probable cause of death was fluoride ingestion because of the history of fluoride overdose and the positive blood fluoride level, however the Department of Justice in Queensland has said they never made such a statement.
Jason's sister Roschelle Burton moved from Brisbane to Imbil two years ago for “a cleaner environment” and worries that her family will be affected when fluoride is added to Gympie regional water supplies.
Ms Burton said she has never given her children fluoride and her eldest, 13, doesn't have a filling in his mouth.
“All we are against is forced medication. People should have a choice and it should be an informed one.
“Why should I have to spend $1500 on a special filter to remove the fluoride? At least with immunisations they tell the public there's a risk involved.”

All I want is my son's death acknowledged and recorded

Monday, May 25, 2009

Alex Jones Water Fluoride



I know you may think Alex is a bit over the top but I think he is worth listening to where he reflects on the fluoride poisoning of humanity. As he said if 1% was true it is enough to stop us from laughing.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Iconoclast Report :: Fluoride 1-17-09

Iconoclast Report :: Fluoride 1-17-09



Uniformed USA PHS

Saturday, May 23, 2009

UK - Southampton Daily Echo

Cosmetic concern
Mrs Place (Echo Letters, May 16) draws attention to the problem of fluoridated water possibly causing mottling of the teeth.
This is something airily dismissed by the Department of Health as "of cosmetic concern to few people".
This is not true, but even if it were we would be entitled to ask why it should be thought acceptable to put a chemical into our water capable of discolouring teeth.
Dental authorities have written that this is caused only when the concentration is at least double what the Strategic Health Authority proposes; but the York Review nine years ago found that many teeth were discoloured even at the recommended level of one ppm.
Nobody has claimed that the condition is equally serious for all affected, but it is significant that the greatest damage is to the teeth of children - the very people fluoridation is supposed to be helping.
This week we read that the Food Standards Agency is demanding reductions in salt in various foods. Let us hear them demanding the removal of unnecessary chemicals from our drinking water!
MR G Payne, Southampton

Friday, May 22, 2009

USA - Thousands of low-income children and adults in Illinois suffer from untreated dental disease

Support Bill HB 388 for dental care
May 21, 2009
Thousands of low-income children and adults in Illinois suffer from untreated dental disease. They can't eat or sleep properly, do their best at school or work or smile and are at risk for other serious health problems. All because of a disease that could easily have been prevented and could easily be treated.

We applaud Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-24th, for introducing legislation that would fund much needed improvements to Illinois' dental care system, dramatically increasing the number of people receiving dental care, through a modest increase in the sales tax on soft drinks.

Under an amendment to HB 388, revenues generated from a 5 percent statewide soft drink sales tax would fund dental clinics in underserved areas and increase funding for Medicaid dental coverage. Illinois has among the lowest rates in the nation for government funded dental care. As a result we face an oral health care crisis.

Dental clinics have closed and services have been sharply reduced, all while the need for government-funded dental care has dramatically increased due to the economic downturn and massive job loss. Illinois currently has just one clinic per 8,400 children who rely on government insurance.

On average, each American drinks 53 gallons of soda a year, and the consumption of soft drinks in general has increased 500 percent in the past 50 years. Soft drinks have no nutritional value and pose many oral and overall health risks, including enamel loss and obesity.

By taking advantage of a 50 percent federal match, this increase in sales tax will generate as much as $91 million for oral health care programs. Enough to help millions of children and adults gain access to much needed dental services.

HB 388 will help end a lot of needless suffering among the most vulnerable Illinoisans. I urge you to tell your legislator to support this bill. The future of healthy smiles depends on it.

Fluoridation is state-mandated in Illinois:NYSCOF

Uk - Southampton - Lymington Times and Daily Echo

9,000 sign anti fluoride petition
The names of hundreds of people opposed to adding fluoride to Totton's water supply were added to a 9,000-strong petition to be handed to the prime minister.
The signatures were presented by Coun. David Harrison to Hampshire Against Fluoridation (HAF) members Caroline Place and Myra Metcalfe, in front of the town's war memorial. The full list of objectors will be submitted to 10 Downing Street later.
Some 8,000 people in Totton are due to have fluoride in 2010 after the South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) approved Southampton Primary Care Trust's proposal, which affects some areas outside the city because of the layout of the pipes.
About 190,000 will be affected in total and despite opponents losing the battle, they have not given up and are also planning legal action. Fluoridation could be further delayed if charges of biased consultation are upheld and a re-run is ordered.
Totton councillor Harrison told the A&T: "It seems fitting to present the petitions at the site of the war memorial — so many people fought and died in the cause of preserving democracy in this country. "It now seems that we are to be forced into consuming this medication without our consent. I thank everyone who has takcn the trouble to spell out their feelings. The battle is still on going "
HAF members plan to deliver the pettition to Downing Street in June and will be joined by local councillors , MP and supporters.
As reported In the A&T, Liberal Democrat Coun. Harrison has also joined New Forest East's Conservative MP Julian Lewis in a complaint against the SHA for the "biased" way it carried out the consultation.
Fluoridation was supported by Southampton City Council but opposed by Totton and Eling, New Forest and Hampshire councils. A Mori poll also showed more residents against than in favour.
But Southampton Primary Care Trust said it was key to cutting children's tooth decay. The decision was the first in the country taken under new laws which gave the NHS the power to compel water companies to add fluoride.


Is fluoridated water medicinal or not?
Decision is against court's ruling
I RECENTLY received a letter from Southern Water which, among other things, stated that by fluoridating the public water supply, it was not classified as a medicinal product so they could not be in breach of their duty to provide 'wholesome' water as dictated to them by the South Central Strategic Health Authority.
I beg to differ due to a ruling by the European Court of .Justice (ECJ) which would suggest otherwise. It established that fluoridated water drink containing minerals, is a functional food with recognisable pharmaceutical properties. As such, it must be regulated as a medicinal product. In the absence of a relevant medicinal marketing authorization for its supply to the public, fiuoridation of public water, supplies in the UK and Ireland must stop immediately
It also went on to say that fluoridated water must not be used in the preparation of any food for retail or wholesale purposes in the UK or Ireland. The ECJ stated that no UK or Irish food manufacturer using fluoridated water in the preparation of their products may export them to any other EC country.
The decision of the court is binding on all EC member states, and is immediately enforceable in the national legislation of member states.
This decision was made in 2005 so why is the SHA and this Government still going ahead with the proposal?
MICHAEL CLEMENTS, Southampton

Thursday, May 21, 2009

FLUORIDE ACTION NETWORK

FLUORIDE ACTION NETWORK
http://www.FluorideAlert.Org
FAN Bulletin 1074: Good News, ADA$ Website, Important California Meeting
May 21, 2009
GOOD NEWS:
MAY 20: GREAT LAKES UNITED pass resolution that supports the end of water fluoridation

Great Lakes United is an international coalition dedicated to preserving and restoring the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River ecosystem. Great Lakes United is made up of member organizations representing environmentalists, conservationists, hunters and anglers, labor unions, community groups, and citizens of the United States, Canada, and First Nations and Tribes.

Carole Clinch (email), Research Coordinator for People for Safe Drinking Water (Ontario, Canada), submitted a resolution to Great Lakes United for the members to vote. The results were announced May 20, 2009 during an electronic, annual general meeting.

The resolution (at http://fluoridealert.org/glu.resolution.passed.5-20-09.pdf ) states:

Therefore be it resolved that Great Lakes United supports the United States Environmental Protection Agency unions (US EPA Unions), Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) statements and professionals world-wide that the practice of artificial drinking water fluoridation be terminated.

Therefore be it resolved that Great Lakes United supports the United States Environmental Protection Agency unions (US EPA Unions), Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) statements and professionals world-wide that the practice of artificial drinking water fluoridation be terminated.

This resolution passed with a vote:
16 for the resolution
10 against the resolution
62% voted in favor of the resolution.

53% of GLU members participated in the online voting.
The results are available at http://www.glu.org/meeting09

THANKS to Carole for her continued outstanding efforts as one of Ontario's dynamic fluoridation activists.

GOOD WEBSITE: OpenSecrets.org on ADA's Congressional contributions for 2008

See the list of US Congressional representatives who received contributions from the American Dental Association (ADA) in 2008 which totaled $1,940,490 at OpenSecrets.org . (Thanks to Danny Gottleib for finding this.)

See also ADA's May 13 press release thanking Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID) for sponsoring -- and the House of Representatives for passing -- a resolution on May 12, 2009, congratulating the ADA on its 150th anniversary. Simpson received $10,250 from the ADA in 2008 (from OpenSecrets.org)

Suffering from FLUORIDE

Dentist makes decayed tooth re-grow

Dentist makes decayed tooth re-grow
21 May 2009, 1036 hrs IST, IANS
SYDNEY: A dentist has found a way to make decayed tooth enamel re-grow, thus eliminating the necessity of fillings.
The treatment works by delivering to the affected tooth a powerful solution of calcium, fluoride and phosphate during sleep. They are the building blocks of tooth enamel. The tooth absorbs the solution from a small tray fitted into the mouth overnight.
"The localised application of the mineral treatment re-grows the crystals of the tooth, repairing damaged tooth enamel," said Nathan Cochrane, of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Oral Health Science.
"Working as a dentist I see how teeth with fillings in them often weaken," he said. "I wanted to find out whether a chemical process could be used to replace the minerals lost from teeth through decay."
Working with world renowned tooth remineralisation expert, Eric Reynolds, a professor and colleagues at the CRC, Cochrane discovered that a substance isolated from cow's milk could be used to stabilise the calcium, phosphate and fluoride ions, allowing them to diffuse into tooth enamel and embed themselves in the crystal lattice.
To prevent saliva from diluting the mineral solution, he developed a small tray that fits over the tooth and focuses the solution on it. The device has been patented, said a CRC release.
"Dentists who have patients showing signs of early decay will be able to prescribe the nightly use of the remineralisation treatment for a given period, potentially avoiding treatments such as fillings and extractions," said Cochrane.
He will outline his system at the Pathfinders: the Innovators Conference at the National Convention Centre in Canberra May 26.

Australia - Bligh apologises for fluoride confusion

Bligh apologises for fluoride confusion
Gabrielle Dunlevy
May 21, 2009 - 5:19PM
An overdose of fluoride in Brisbane's drinking water was sent to a different area to that the Queensland government first reported, and was smaller.
Premier Anna Bligh on Thursday received the initial findings of an investigation into the North Pine water treatment plant, which the government last week said sent up to 20 times the allowable fluoride dose to 4,000 homes in Brendale and Warner, in Brisbane's north.
But the investigation by International Water Centre chief Mark Pascoe has found the overdosed water was not pumped towards Brisbane's north as first thought, but drawn back into the plant to backwash filters after routine maintenance.
Ms Bligh told reporters the water was then sent to a nearby YMCA camp, where 211 school children were staying, and possibly reached about 400 homes in the suburb of Joyner.
In addition, the amount of fluoride was not as high as first thought.
No more than 19.6 milligrams per litre would have reached the water supply, down from the 30 milligrams first reported, but still unacceptably high.
It is the second blunder the government has made over the incident, after first telling the public the wrong date.
Ms Bligh apologised for the confusion around the incident, which has only inflamed opponents of the controversial health initiative, introduced to southeast Queensland in December.
"I do appreciate that announcements like this do cause people concern, particularly people who have health problems anyway,' she said.
"I apologise for any unnecessary concern that's been caused by the lack of clarity around this incident."
No one has reported falling ill from the overdose, and visitors to the YMCA camp would only have been effected if they drank water between 8am and 9am (AEST) on April 30.
The schools have been notified, but no students reported feeling ill at the time.
Homes in Brendale and Warner, dropped from the original scare, will be contacted again, along with Joyner residents.
Mr Pascoe's final report, which will examine why the fault occurred, will be handed down on June 26, and the North Pine plant will remain shut in the meantime.
Fluoride is being phased in to drinking water throughout Queensland, and will be available to 95 per cent of the population when the program is finished in December 2012.

Fluoride not as high, sent to a different place, wrong date, no one can be that incompetent must be deliberate misinformation.

UK - Southampton Daily Echo

Fluoride fear after chemical blunder
7:50am Thursday 21st May 2009
By Jon Reeve
FEARS have been raised over the safety of adding fluoride to Hampshire’s water, after an accident in Australia left residents drinking supplies containing 20 times their normal maximum dose.
An error during maintenance at a water plant in Queensland caused water with much higher levels of fluoride to be pumped through people’s taps.
The amount of fluoride drunk by residents near Brisbane was 30 times that proposed as the safe level for Southampton and the surrounding area.
Authorities insist the process of adding the chemical to the supplies of nearly 200,000 Hampshire homes, which could happen as soon as next year, will be completely failsafe.
But anti-fluoride campaigners say the incident Down Under – the first of its kind in the country – shows there are no guarantees and is another reason the contentious scheme should be scrapped.
“They always say they put in the technologies to ensure it can’t happen, but even things that supposedly can’t happen have a habit of happening,”
said chairman of Hampshire Against Fluoridation, John Spottiswoode.
“You can never be completely sure it’s going to work.
“You’re relying on technology, but there is always room for human error.
“It’s another reason to be wary of fluoridation.”
Homes in Queensland, where plans were announced earlier this year to extend fluoridation to cover all communities of more than 1,000 people, received the high doses at the start of the month.
Details of the error, which meant the fluoridation supply was not shut down along with the rest of the plant, have only just been released, prompting Premier Anna Bligh to reassure residents she believes there are no health risks.
A Southern Water spokeswoman said stringent safety checks will be put in place to ensure dosing errors cannot happen.
“Systems will be designed to be fail-safe,” she added.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Apricot kernels and basal cell cancer - do they work.

I've had three suspicious areas cut out from my head, one was "sun damaged" another "pre-cancerous" and the third was clear and now I've got another suspected basal cell cancer on my face. It has been there for some months and will not heal up so I reported it to my GP and my appointment with the consultant is in September. No hurry I guess to cut it out if it is one.
In the mean time I've upped my intake of Apricot kernels to 18 a day and I'm taking the recommended maximum of vitamin C.
Will be interesting to see if that works and I can get rid of it before my appointment.

Australia - Challenge to fluoride plants

.................At present any development application that goes before council can only consider the planning issues relating to the buildings housing the dosing plants and not the issue of fluoridation itself, as the NSW Government is the consent authority for water supply.
But father-of-six Al Oshlack said councils must be allowed to look at the broader issues relating to fluoridation.
“They (Rous Water) are intending to circumvent the relevant planning laws and escape public scrutiny.” he said. “When you’re talking about matters of environmental assessment, you cannot separate the building from the impact of the actions relating to fluoridation. Councils must be required to look at flood mitigation to prevent spillage of fluoride, correct venting, the possible impact of chemical spills in the transportation of fluoride... and a whole range of other issues.”
However, Mr Franklin said local councils did not have that authority.
“In this instance, because we’re a water supply authority, the planning laws are a bit different,” he said. “As an example, with the recent Wilsons River Source where we built pumping stations on the outskirts of Lismore, we lodged a DA for the buildings with Lismore City Council and they considered the social and environmental aspects of those buildings, but not what could happen within those pumping stations.”
Mr Oshlack said he was prompted to threaten legal action after the accidental overdose of fluoride in Brisbane’s water supply recently.
“Adding toxic poison into a water supply without having any environmental assessment or without allowing for any public submissions is just not on. If you want to build a gazebo, you have to get development approval, yet they want to construct several dosing plants to put a toxin in the water without proper development consent,” he said.
“There is a deep seated resentment in this community at this attempt to foist such a pernicious evil on the health of our citizens. I for one, being a resident for nearly 40 years, will not stand by and let it happen. I am as good as my word and I will get my day in court.”
Mr Franklin said Rous Water is not expecting to lodge a DA for the dosing plants for at least three months.

Australia - Fluoride overdose in QLD





Thankful she boiled the water? That makes it worse, chlorine you can boil off but not fluoride.
We cannot sue the water companies either if it happened here.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

UK - Experts slam Tory promise of school dental check-ups

Experts slam Tory promise of school dental check-ups
18th May 2009
There would be free school dental checks for every five-year-old in the UK if the Conservative Party gets into power.
That was the pledge this week with their plans to plough £17 million into the proposal.
Children would be shown how to brush their teeth properly and warned of the dangers of eating too many sweets and drinking sugary drinks.
But experts at the British Dental Health Foundation, although welcoming the emphasis on prevention and children's dentistry, say the Tories' planned £17 million spend on school check-ups would be better spent on effective preventive measures.
Department of Health guidelines published in 2007 removed the obligation on primary care trusts to provide dental screening to schoolchildren.
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: ‘Every child at the age of five when they go to school will have dental screening. We want to change the contract, so that dentists have greater incentives for preventive work. I'm afraid what we've seen is a two-thirds increase in nine years in child tooth decay.'
He added: ‘Labour's neglect of preventive dentistry for our children over the course of more than a decade is shameful. It is vital to highlight any dental problems early in a child's life and to reinforce the importance of good preventative care and advice.'
The cost will come from existing NHS budgets, and children with serious dental problems will be referred to an NHS dentist.
But the Government has disputed the Tories' figures and said the UK had the lowest rate of tooth decay among 12-year-olds in Europe.
And British Dental Health Foundation chief executive Dr Nigel Carter was dismissive, suggesting the screenings were a ‘waste of money'.He said: ‘While we wholeheartedly support Mr Lansley's commitment to increase the focus on preventive dentistry, compulsory school screenings are simply a waste of money when there are far more effective measures available.
‘We live in an age of evidence-based medicine and dentistry and the evidence is overwhelming that school dental check-ups are not effective. Indeed, far from improving pupils' oral health they have been shown to increase existing disparities.'
He added: 'Screenings are not a preventive measure since they diagnose existing decay. Instead the proposed additional budget would be best spent on real preventative measures from water fluoridation to targeted programmes in schools with the application of fluoride varnishes and supervised brushing.
‘These measures have proved extremely successful at reducing child decay levels when implemented in the Scandinavian countries. We particularly need to target high-need areas with dental resources. The Foundation would welcome an opportunity to work with the shadow health team in developing their future dental policy.'

Australia - Health fears over fluoride overdose prevail

RESIDENTS still fear for their health a week after it was revealed water with up to 40 times the recommended level of fluoride was pumped into two Pine Rivers suburbs.
Warner mother of five Tamara Hamilton said she was concerned for the safety of her infant.
``Everyone in Warner is concerned if it is a one-off thing and whether we need to buy bottled water for our children,’’ Ms Hamilton said. Eatons Hill environmentalist Daniel Boon said the fluoride Brendale and Warner residents were exposed to was equal to 30 fluoride tablets in a glass of water.
The recommended dose of fluoride in water is from 0.8mg/L to 1.5mg/L.
However, Pine Rivers residents received 30mg/L of fluoride in their water on May 1.
``The Premier has denied that there was even a health risk.
``I’d like to see Anna Bligh quaff that,’’ Mr Boon said.
An opponent of fluoridation of the water supply, Mr Boon was sceptical of government claims the accident did not pose a health risk, despite fluoride flowing into homes for three hours on May 1 at up to 40 times the recommended concentration.
``People particularly at risk include diabetics, the kidney-impaired, people with chemical sensitivity and infants with developing teeth,’’ Mr Boon said.
Cashmere resident Melanie Matthias said: ``If they can’t get this right then heaven help us when recycled water comes.’’
AMA Queensland president Dr Chris Davis said high levels of fluoride could cause teeth discoloration and brittleness of bones but that was only after months or years of overdosing.
Dr Davis said short-term effects would be mainly ``gastro’’ and stomach aches and children would be the most prone to these.
``We have had no confirmed reported cases,’’ Dr Davis said.
Moreton Bay Mayor Allan Sutherland supported the call. ``Residents deserve answers. Such incidents cannot be allowed to happen again,’’ he said.
SEQwater said it was taking action to ensure it was a one-off incident.
Water Grid manager acting CEO Barry Dennien said parts of Pine Rivers would not receive fluoridated water until the inquiry was over.
He said Brisbane-based International Water Centre CEO Mark Pascoe was conducting the inquiry.
``The independent investigation will examine how the incident occurred and how (North Pine manager) SEQwater can ensure this does not happen again,’’ Mr Dennien said.
He said immediate action had been taken to ensure there was no repeat.
Queensland Council for Civil Liberties president Michael Cope said residents should be able to sue over fluoride bungles.

USA - The bill that would fluoridate domestic water in Washoe County was approved

The bill that would fluoridate domestic water in Washoe County was approved by the Senate Finance committee Monday.
It won committee support after amending SB311 to provide for an advisory vote of the people in Washoe County.
The advisory vote, however, comes after the Truckee Meadows Water Authority implements the fluoridation program.
Fluoride in the water is supported by dentists who say it helps prevent cavities.
A similar bill was approved for Clark County a decade ago. That measure too had an advisory vote of the people.

Australia - Independent investigation into Queensland’s fluoride overdose incident

Independent investigation into Queensland’s fluoride overdose incident
19 May 2009
THE QUEENSLAND Government has announced an independent investigation into a series of faults in the state’s new south-east water fluoridation system, which saw up to 20 times the allowable dose of fluoride added to drinking water supplies.
Premier Anna Bligh told the State Parliament that International Water Centre chief Mark Pascoe would conduct the enquiry into the overdose incident.
Pascoe will examine the design and operation of the North Pine fluoridation system, as well as its monitoring, notification and emergency systems. He will also look for possible breaches by authorities and report back to the government by 26 June.
The Queensland Government revealed on 14 May that the fluoride was added to water which supplies around 4000 homes in Brisbane’s north.
SEQWater, the government-owned company in charge of the system, has also stated that six of its water treatment plants did not put enough fluoride into the water in the first three months of 2009.
Premier Bligh says the North Pine fluoride dosing system will remain offline while the investigation is carried out.
Fluoride is currently being phased into Queensland’s drinking water supplies and will be available to 95% of the state’s population when the program is finished in December 2012.

Monday, May 18, 2009

fluoride poisons kidney patients

USA - Dental funding needs a filling in Wisconsin

Dental funding needs a filling in Wisconsin
A Wisconsin State Journal editorial
Wisconsin can't smile about its dental care for kids.
Nearly one in five school children has untreated tooth decay, a 2008 state survey suggests. And that contributes to more than just pain and rotten teeth.
Dental problems have been pegged as a big cause of absenteeism in Dane County schools, especially for low-income families. And missed school often leads to students falling behind. Dental problems also have been linked to higher risk for poor overall health.
Many parents need to do a better job of making sure their children brush and floss. Some programs wisely require parents to attend an oral health class before their children can get free checkups.
Yet a bigger hurdle is insufficient state funding of dental care for impoverished children. The state does a great job of offering low-income children dental coverage. But because of low reimbursements, many Wisconsin dentists don't accept new Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus patients.
So the dental coverage often doesn't lead to actual dental care.


Wisconsin is 90% fluoridated:NYSCOF

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Part 6 of 6 Former EPA scientists and others discus Water Fluoridation on the Gary Null Show

Scotland - Healthier children say 'aargh' to sweets

Healthier children say 'aargh' to sweets
Date: 17 May 2009
By David Leask
THEIR toothless smiles are as Scottish as soor plooms and Highland toffee.
Children north of the border have long had some of the nastiest gnashers in Europe, mostly thanks to the kilos of confectionery they chomp their way through every year.
Some despairing dentists and doctors were beginning to fear they could never wean youngsters off their junk diets.
At least until now. That's because the latest figures appear to show that young Scots are losing their collective sweet tooth.
Scotland on Sunday can reveal there has been a dramatic fall in the number of children who tuck into sweeties every day – and a rise in those who eat fruit instead.
In 2002, 47% of boys and 43% of girls had sweets every day, according to figures published in statistical bible for the welfare of Scottish children, the 300-page 2008–2009 factfile produced by the charity Action for Children and endorsed by the Scottish Government.
The latest figure, according to the document, is just 34%.
That, say doctors and dentists, is still unacceptably high – but it represents huge progress, not least because it coincides with the number of children turning to fruit.
The Action for Children factfile said daily fruit consumption was up from 31% of boys and 36% of girls in 2002 to 36% and 43% respectively. .............

Saturday, May 16, 2009

USA - New Kind Of Dental Care

New Kind Of Dental Care
By KBJR News 1
May 15, 2009
A new bill signed by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty this week is designed to create a new level of dental care.
As Tiffany Tarrolly explains, this new mid-level care provider will make it easier for the poor and other underserved populations to get dental care.
"Access to care is a real issue all over the US," said Kathy Leonard, Director of Dental Hygience Program at Lake Superior College.
'in rural areas and especially the lower income underprivileged people and they're ending up in our emergency rooms with much more costly care,' said Senator Yvonne Prettner-Solon of district 7.

Fluoridation is state-mandated in Minnesota: NYSCOF

UK - Government urged to engage with dental profession

Government urged to engage with dental profession
15th May 2009
The Westminster forum put pressure on the government to react pro-actively to the upcoming Steele report

Dental leaders have called for the government to work much more closely with the profession as the build-up to the release of a major review of NHS dentistry in England gathers momentum.

The rallying cry was made at a Westminster Health Forum keynote seminar entitled The Future of Dentistry, and comes as the profession eagerly awaits the publication of the independent review, led by Professor Jimmy Steele, of the University of Newcastle.

The review was commissioned last year following widespread criticism of the new contract from the House of Commons Health Select Committee, and is due for publication in mid-June.

It was the main talking point of the forum, held in central London on 12 May, and comes hot on the heels of Professor Steele's interview with Dentistry magazine last month in which he revealed his report would seek to address the frustrations felt by dentists and patients following the implementation of the new contract in 2006.

The over-riding message to come from the Westminster forum was that many speakers wanted the review to acknowledge the importance of direct and significant communication between the government and the profession.
Derek Waton
Derek Watson, chief executive of the Dental Practitioners' Association (DPA), said that the new contract was generally underperforming by 6-10%, and that more change was required. He said the DPA had tried to contact the government on several occasions to discuss the fallout of the 2006 reforms, but those requests had been turned down.

‘The government needs to engage in the democratic process,' he said. ‘The Minister responsible for Health, Ann Keen, will not speak to anybody, not just the DPA. I'd like to talk to the politicians... the government needs to kick-start the democratic process and, when they do, the DPA will be ready to engage.'

The tone had been set early on when the chair for the morning session, Doug Naysmith MP – a member of the Health Select Committee – explained: ‘The most important point to come out of the Health Select Committee was that the best way to provide quality dentistry is through the PCT working closely with the profession to commission NHS dental services properly.'

Susie Sanderson

Chair of the British Dental Association's executive board, Susie Sanderson, acknowledged that commissioning Professor Steele's review was a positive move on the government's part, and praised the way the report is being conducted in an open way. She said: ‘In my “glass half-full” moments, I think that the government is displaying a refreshing degree of honesty – albeit nudged somewhat by the Health Select Committee – and I really, really hope that I'm not going to be disappointed by it. The NHS brand has been damaged but let's not hope irretrievably.'

‘The UDA must be scrapped,' she added. ‘It does not encourage the kind of modern dentistry dentists want to practice. The continuing care relationship between dentists and patients needs to be appropriately appreciated.'

She said: ‘If I have to beg for one thing, it's that the DoH follows the review group's example and works with the profession to ensure that its recommendations work as well in practice as they are intended to do on paper.'

Looking forward to the results, Dr Sanderson was quick to stress the difficulty of Professor Steele's task, saying: ‘It's important to appreciate just how broad his remit is. The scope of the task cannot be underestimated; it's ambitious in both remit and schedule. The extent to which the government implements his recommendations will show how committed it really is to improving dental services.'

The Patients' Association's Anthony Halperin echoed the support for Steele, saying: ‘If the enthusiasm shown by Professor Steele and his team is taken forward, then we just may have a way for this system to be altered.'

While the existing system came under fire from several speakers, it was also widely accepted that there was still potential for positive change.

Darrin Robinson, director of clinical services and commissioning for Integrated Dental Holdings, summed it up by saying: ‘We've gone from an overcomplicated system to an oversimplified one. There is no perfect solution, but there is an improvement on what we have now. The Steele report is a massive opportunity to improve the delivery of healthcare and make things better next time around.

‘It's crucial that we pilot schemes properly and introduce them in a managed way, and that there is engagement with both big and small practices nationwide. Proposals might look good on paper, but if problems crop up with them in practice you lose the engagement of the profession.'

He also recommended linking the contract with a patient assessment scoring system, that would highlight which patients require a higher health need or a lower one.

The British Dental Health Foundation's president Chris Potts was more damning, saying: ‘I don't believe that tinkering with the current system will have any effect; fundamental change is required. We welcome the findings of the long-overdue Steele report; no change at all is not an option.'

Peter Robinson, Professor of Dental Public Health and deputy dean at the School of Clinical Dentistry at the University of Sheffield, said it was important to recognise that there never was a ‘golden age' of dentistry, and that access has been a long-standing problem. He said the three-band fee system was ‘a disincentive' for dentists to accept new patients, particularly those who need more treatment.

‘The new contract doesn't encourage a skills mix in practice,' he said. ‘There was no mention of therapists. I would want therapists to be remembered in all of this.' He also said the profession was ‘desperately short' of teachers, while student intake has increased by 28%. ‘Within education there appears to be a hidden curriculum that NHS dentistry is second rate,' he added.

‘The education sector needs to engage with NHS practices so students can learn first-hand that it's perfectly possible to produce and promote first-rate quality dentistry in the NHS.'

John Milne, chair of the BDA General Dental Practice Committee, said that under the current system of UDA quotas it was ‘easy to see how effective preventive advice could be squeezed out by dentists working to meet their UDA targets.'

He called for ‘targeted fluoridation of the water supply' to be recommended in the Steele report, as it would benefit people of all ages, particularly children and the elderly.

He said: ‘I would say to those people in the room from the political sphere – take courage, it can't be done without you.'

His comments were backed up by Professor Michael Lennon, chair of the British Fluoridation Society, who expressed his delight at the recent decision of the South Central Strategic Health Authority who, after an extensive public consultation, decided unanimously to add fluoride to the water of Southampton, and called for other SHAs to follow suit.

'I feel slightly frustrated at the slow pace of other authorities, especially in the north-west and Yorkshire,' he said.

The forum was rounded up by Lord Colwyn, member of the Science and Technology Select Committee, who said: ‘It is obvious to me that the new contract has failed to meet the government's own criteria for success.

‘The UDA is an unsatisfactory method of measuring dental activity. It relates to consumption of time and resources and based on an out-dated model. It was never properly tested and does not take into account preventive or quality care.

‘It is a crude measure of dental activity, and I believe it should go.'

Author
Paul Gadsby and Guy Hiscott

Extensive and expensive consultation (total costing over £400,000) with 72% saying NO to fluoridation the SHA still went ahead

Australia - Residents who drank water with high levels of fluroride given wrong date

Residents who drank water with high levels of fluroride given wrong date
By Patrick Lion and Peter Michael
The Courier-Mail
May 16, 2009 12:01am
THE Bligh Government's handling of the fluoride overdose was in disarray last night after it admitted it got the date wrong about when the bungle occurred.
The Government has admitted residents should have been told they may have drunk water with 20 times the allowable amount of fluoride on May 2 - not May 1 as Premier Anna Bligh said.
The blunder is a major embarrassment for the Government, already defending the two-week delay in testing that preceded this week's health notification to residents on Brisbane's northside, The Courier-Mail reports.
The Premier was unavailable last night but SEQ Water Grid Manager director Nicole Davis confirmed the water entered supplies in the Brendale and Warner areas on May 2 for three hours between 9am and midday.
It means the water flowed on the Saturday morning putting many more residents at risk.
''We were trying to get the information out there to assure people,'' Ms Davis said. ''The initial advice was it was May 1 but LinkWater went back today looking at their data and discovered the error that it was, in fact, May 2.
''I do apologise on behalf of the (SEQ Water Grid) Manager that there has been confusion for the community.''
The error is set to inflame tensions further. As angry residents yesterday claimed the overdose made them sick and killed their pets, it emerged they may be unable to sue for compensation.
The Government has specifically legislated to stop lawsuits relating to fluoride.
While Ms Bligh had earlier refused to speculate on compensation for the 4000 homes exposed to the water, lawyers believe Section 94 of the Water Fluoridation Act ruled out civil suits from the public.
''A person does not have any civil right or remedy against a public potable water supplier in relation to the fluoridation of a public potable water supply under this Act,'' the law reads.
The water contained 30 to 31mg/L of fluoride instead of the maximum allowable 1.5mg/L.
The Government had received no complaints yesterday but The Courier-Mail has received several reports of symptoms similar to gastroenteritis.
Warner mother-of-two Caroline Rossiter said her family, including the dog and cat, had been ill for two weeks.
"I was for fluoride but now I am very concerned," she said. "I have headaches, chest pain, shortness of breath, gastro. We still haven't been contacted about it."
Robert Gow, a Bunya resident near Warner, said 10 of his budgerigars died and his cockatiel was sick. His daughter Renee lives at Warner and her budgerigar also died.
"All the birds basically got the runs with lots of watery discharge in the cage and they were dehydrated," Mr Gow said. "There is a pretty fair chance of a connection as we are all connected to the North Pine Dam."
But Ms Bligh said there was "almost a zero chance" of any health risk.
"We have been able to identify residents who have been affected and they will be provided with a written document today," she said.
Speaking in Townsville, "the only city in Queensland that has had fluoridated water for decades", she said the city was proof of the benefits of fluoridation.
"The dental health of children here is significantly better than any other part of the state," she said.
Brisbane Veterinary Service manager Tabatha Whitehead said the northside facility had not received any cases and were unsure what affect fluoride had on animals.
"It is difficult to know if this could contribute to any illness in any household pet," she said.

UK - Southampton Daily Echo

These toxic arguments

IN response to Mr Guy Harkin's letter of April 30. Who said anything about a conspiracy? Perhaps you would like to write personally to the 2,400 professionals who have signed the petition asking for the ending of fluoridation. Professionals who have studied the evidence and been convinced of its adverse effects on health.
Have you ever studied the other side of the argument and looked at the evidence? The research carried out by the NRC was published and yet I doubt that you have ever read it. (Asked whether you had seen it on a television programme you declined to answer - do you remember?) As an economist I would have thought you would be more concerned with the exorbitant cost to the NHS and find better ways to spend funds.
What I still do not understand is how anyone can be comfortable with a 3-4 per cenl of the child population of the Southampton area ending up with fluorosis as an acceptable "fall-out" when introducing a so called "health measure" in an attempt to prevent the preventable? Talk about a contradiction! As a matter of interest Mr Harkin, are you familiar with the speech given by Baroness Hayman in the House of Lords on April 20 1999? I quote: "We accept that dental fluorosis is a manifestation of systemic toxicity since it is partly caused by bloodborne fluoride."
If this stuff doesn't have any adverse effects why does my toothpaste packaging tell me not to use it if I'm allergic to fluoride? Even the toothpaste manufacturers acknowledge the health issues! Perhaps you could also tell me why a leading health publication recently warned athletes against using fluoridated toothpaste?
You obviously don't know about the research, that's linked fluoride with tendon and joint problems especially in heavily fluoridated Australia.

MRS PLACE, Southampton.

Throw out fluoride dictators

HOW dare they try to force feed poisonous stuff to the general public, when over 70 per cent have voted against it! Is the so called democracy in UK a sham? How can a bunch of unelected people overturn a democratic decision? This is the thin end of the wedge, throw out these dictators. Wonder how many actually live in the area.
There are wars being fought in Iraq, Afgahnistan, etc, to bring democracy. If democracy doesn't work, what is our government doing there, putting our soldiers' lives at risk? Is there a hidden agenda there as well? When the majority of the world, backed up by science, is rejecting fluorida-tion - See "Fifty reasons to oppose flouridation". So, what's their real agenda? Above all, how can they manipulate the rules and override our democratic and human rights! I presume Southampton City Council, having supported SHA, will be providing bottled drinking . water to its citizens! If not, then I suggest that people of Southampton stop paying council tax and take SCC to court.

MIKE VASHISHT, Southampton.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Australia - Too much fluoride in drinking water will mean little public confidence

The revelation that some Brisbane residents were inadvertently exposed to excessive levels of fluoride in their drinking water earlier this month will do little to enhance the case for adding fluoride to public water systems.
The concern raised has been further exacerbated by the fact that it apparently took as long as 12 days to identify the problem and it seems the government was not notified until this week that 300,000 litres of contaminated water were pumped into as many as 4,000 Brisbane homes on the 1st of May.

Though the Queensland Government says a full investigation is underway public confidence in is bound to be eroded with the news that some residents at Brendale and Warner, north of Brisbane, were drinking water for a period of three hours earlier this month with a fluoride concentration 20 times higher than the recommended maximum limit.

The investigation will also focus on why at least three safety devices failed at the plant - the problem occurred when fluoride continued to mix into water when the treatment plant was shut down for routine maintenance late last month and when the plant resumed operations on May 1, the overdosed water discharged into household supplies between 9am and 12 noon.

The Queensland Opposition says that it took nearly two weeks for the Government to find out about an excessive release of fluoride into public drinking water supplies and tell the public, which is not good enough and brings into question the management of the system.

Opposition Leader John Paul Langbroek says the Government cannot afford to make mistakes on the purity of drinking water and the Government should be reassuring Queenslanders that all the procedures in place and that fail-safe mechanisms are working properly.

The Opposition Leader who is himself a dentist, and in favour of fluoridation, says the public were told the processes would be safe.
SEQWater as a rule receives routine test results on the same day but it appears LinkWater the bulk supplier failed to test the water before its release after the shutdown but tested it 12 days later - LinkWater received the test results back on Tuesday and SEQ Water was told on Wednesday and the Queensland Premier Anna Bligh was told later that evening.

Queensland Health chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young says there had been no complaints of gastroenteritis, which would have produced diarrhoea and vomiting within 24 hours and for there to be a health risk the levels would have to be much higher and for much longer than three hours.

The plant has been switched off since the findings - Anna Bligh says the incident was unprecedented at any other fluoride treatment plant in Australia and Mark Pascoe, CEO of the International Water Centre based in Brisbane, will lead the investigation.

Australia - Fluoride-affected householders to get apologyMay 15, 2009

Fluoride-affected householders to get apologyMay 15, 2009 - 2:37PM
Around 4000 Brisbane residents affected by a surge of fluoride in their water will receive a written apology, as debate raged over the quality of the city's water.
Premier Anna Bligh yesterday revealed 300,000 litres of contaminated water was pumped to northern Brisbane homes for three hours on May 1 after a plant malfunction delivered 20 times the allowable limit of fluoride into the water supply.
The fault was uncovered during routine tests, but health authorities said it did not pose a risk.
Ms Bligh said health and environmental authorities would be writing to affected residents in the Warner and Brendale areas.
"I think it should contain factual and accurate information about what happened and, yes, some form of apology about this happening," she told ABC radio.
"It's not acceptable. This is something Queenslanders should be able to rely on and in this case they haven't been able to."
Ms Bligh said an independent investigation now under way could have broader implications for the water system.
"Maybe there are some long terms lessons for us here, not only in relation to fluoride but other water quality issues," she said.
"I drink the water here and I understand the people want to have a very high level of confidence in their water supply and in the systems that manage its purity."
Opposition frontbencher Tim Nicholls said the fault raised further questions about the safety of other parts of the state's water system.
Mr Nicholls said it was particularly important to get the problems solved, given the government's controversial commitment to introduce recycled water if the state falls back into drought.
"There should be fail-safes along the way, particularly with recycled water where there is real prospect of harm from that water coming through if something has gone wrong, if it hasn't been properly treated," Mr Nicholls said.
"It calls into question the government and its operator's capacity to be able to monitor the water and to reassure the residents that they are getting safe drinking water."
Injury compensation law expert Mark O'Connor said laws introducing fluoride to Queensland's water supply contained a clause banning legal action for compensation if problems should arise.
Mr O'Connor said despite the premier and Queensland Health reassuring the public the risk of illness was extremely remote, the government should offer to pay for any medical tests householders might wish to take.
"People are expected to put their trust in the government and when the government fails them, it has a duty to put things right," Mr O'Connor said.
"Paying for any medical tests is the least it could do."

Australia - Fluoride supplier has 'get out' clause

Fluoride supplier has 'get out' clause
May 15, 2009
Article from: Australian Associated Press
LAWS introducing fluoride to Queensland's water supply contained a clause banning legal action for compensation if problems should arise.
Lawyer Mark O'Connor, of Bennett and Philp Lawyers, revealed the clause while demanding that the Queensland Government should pay for medical tests for Brisbane residents affected by the fluoride bungle.
Premier Anna Bligh yesterday revealed 300,000 litres of contaminated water was pumped to up to 4000 northern Brisbane homes for three hours on May 1 after a malfunction delivered 20 times the allowable limit of fluoride into the water supply.
The fault was uncovered during routine tests 12 days later.
Mr O'Connor said despite the Premier and Queensland Health reassuring the public the risk of illness was extremely remote, the Government should offer to pay for any medical tests householders might wish to take.
"People are expected to put their trust in the Government and when the Government fails them, it has a duty to put things right,'' Mr O'Connor said.
"Paying for any medical tests is the least it could do.''
Affected residents are to receive a letter of apology from the Government spelling out what happened.