Canada - Public misinformed about fluoridation
Public misinformed about fluoridation
It is sad to see how the public is being misinformed about the science of fluoride by public health associations. Much like they did with tobacco research for close to 50 years, these agencies continue to ignore peer-reviewed research that shows how water fluoridation does next to nothing to reduce tooth decay and indeed presents health risks.
Even the National Research Council's Review (NRC-2006a, Review of Fluoride in Drinking Water, co-author Dr. Kathleen Thiessen) indicates how low levels of fluoride can disrupt fetal brain development, thyroid gland function, bone and skeletal joint health with the elderly and more.
Public health agencies have also misrepresented studies such as the famous York Water Fluoridation Review. Dr. Trevor Sheldon, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of York (England), who chaired the York Review, has publicly reprimanded public health and dental associations for misrepresenting the study. Dr. Sheldon explains that contrary to what public health associations claim, the York review did not find water fluoridation to be safe, nor help the poor. It found that the evidence that water fluoridation reduces tooth decay is low, not "massive" as claimed by the public agencies.
It seems that public health representatives have not looked into the science behind what they are promoting as was evident during the Dieppe council meeting when NB Health's Dr. Léger was asked key questions to which he had no answers.
Last week Dr. Léger claimed that tooth decay rates would rise and that the poor would suffer now that Moncton has ceased artificially fluoridating water, when in fact not one published study exists to support his claims, but nine peer-reviewed studies exist all showing that no tooth decay rates have risen in cities that ceased fluoridation.
Health officials who want to argue that water fluoridation is safe should start by providing convincing toxicological studies on the actual products used to fluoridate water. That is the way science works. The city has given them five years to produce these safety studies.
Dr. Francis Weil,
Former Dean, Science and Engineering, UdeM, Moncton
It is sad to see how the public is being misinformed about the science of fluoride by public health associations. Much like they did with tobacco research for close to 50 years, these agencies continue to ignore peer-reviewed research that shows how water fluoridation does next to nothing to reduce tooth decay and indeed presents health risks.
Even the National Research Council's Review (NRC-2006a, Review of Fluoride in Drinking Water, co-author Dr. Kathleen Thiessen) indicates how low levels of fluoride can disrupt fetal brain development, thyroid gland function, bone and skeletal joint health with the elderly and more.
Public health agencies have also misrepresented studies such as the famous York Water Fluoridation Review. Dr. Trevor Sheldon, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of York (England), who chaired the York Review, has publicly reprimanded public health and dental associations for misrepresenting the study. Dr. Sheldon explains that contrary to what public health associations claim, the York review did not find water fluoridation to be safe, nor help the poor. It found that the evidence that water fluoridation reduces tooth decay is low, not "massive" as claimed by the public agencies.
It seems that public health representatives have not looked into the science behind what they are promoting as was evident during the Dieppe council meeting when NB Health's Dr. Léger was asked key questions to which he had no answers.
Last week Dr. Léger claimed that tooth decay rates would rise and that the poor would suffer now that Moncton has ceased artificially fluoridating water, when in fact not one published study exists to support his claims, but nine peer-reviewed studies exist all showing that no tooth decay rates have risen in cities that ceased fluoridation.
Health officials who want to argue that water fluoridation is safe should start by providing convincing toxicological studies on the actual products used to fluoridate water. That is the way science works. The city has given them five years to produce these safety studies.
Dr. Francis Weil,
Former Dean, Science and Engineering, UdeM, Moncton
posted by Bill at
9:37 AM
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