Questions and answers before Wichita’s fluoridation vote
Questions and answers before Wichita’s fluoridation vote
By Dion Lefler, Annie Calovich and Bill Wilson
The Wichita Eagle
Published Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012, at 11:08 p.m.
Q. Are there any negative effects to consuming fluoridated water?
A. Dental fluorosis is the most common effect. It is mainly characterized by white spots or a pitting of the enamel on teeth. A Centers for Disease Control study from 1999 to 2004 showed that 33 percent of children ages 6 to 11 had it, 41 percent of ages 12 to 15 had it, and 36 percent of ages 16 to 19 had it.
Supporters of fluoridated water say that mild cases are barely noticeable and that the side effect is small compared with tooth decay.
Most other health effects caused by fluoride occur from industrial exposure or in areas where high levels of fluoride occur naturally in the soil and water.
“Small amounts of fluoride are added to toothpaste or drinking water to help prevent dental decay,” according to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “However, exposure to higher levels of fluoride may harm your health. Skeletal fluorosis can be caused by eating, drinking, or breathing very large amounts of fluorides. This disease only occurs after long-term exposures and can cause denser bones, joint pain, and a limited range of joint movement...Skeletal fluorosis is extremely rare in the United States; it has occurred in some people consuming greater than 30 times the amount of fluoride typically found in fluoridated water. It is more common in places where people do not get proper nutrition. At fluoride levels 5 times greater than levels typically found in fluoridated water, fluoride can result in denser bones. However, these bones are often more brittle or fragile than normal bone and there is an increased risk of older men and women breaking a bone. Some studies have also found a higher risk of bone fractures in older men and women at fluoride levels typically found in fluoridated water. However, other studies have not found an effect at this fluoride dose.”
Robert Hinshaw, a physician at the Riordan Clinic in Wichita and an opponent of fluoridation, says that skeletal fluorosis is probably an unrecognized cause of arthritis. He says that fluorosis in the teeth is an indicator of fluorosis in the skeleton.
By Dion Lefler, Annie Calovich and Bill Wilson
The Wichita Eagle
Published Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012, at 11:08 p.m.
Q. Are there any negative effects to consuming fluoridated water?
A. Dental fluorosis is the most common effect. It is mainly characterized by white spots or a pitting of the enamel on teeth. A Centers for Disease Control study from 1999 to 2004 showed that 33 percent of children ages 6 to 11 had it, 41 percent of ages 12 to 15 had it, and 36 percent of ages 16 to 19 had it.
Supporters of fluoridated water say that mild cases are barely noticeable and that the side effect is small compared with tooth decay.
Most other health effects caused by fluoride occur from industrial exposure or in areas where high levels of fluoride occur naturally in the soil and water.
“Small amounts of fluoride are added to toothpaste or drinking water to help prevent dental decay,” according to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “However, exposure to higher levels of fluoride may harm your health. Skeletal fluorosis can be caused by eating, drinking, or breathing very large amounts of fluorides. This disease only occurs after long-term exposures and can cause denser bones, joint pain, and a limited range of joint movement...Skeletal fluorosis is extremely rare in the United States; it has occurred in some people consuming greater than 30 times the amount of fluoride typically found in fluoridated water. It is more common in places where people do not get proper nutrition. At fluoride levels 5 times greater than levels typically found in fluoridated water, fluoride can result in denser bones. However, these bones are often more brittle or fragile than normal bone and there is an increased risk of older men and women breaking a bone. Some studies have also found a higher risk of bone fractures in older men and women at fluoride levels typically found in fluoridated water. However, other studies have not found an effect at this fluoride dose.”
Robert Hinshaw, a physician at the Riordan Clinic in Wichita and an opponent of fluoridation, says that skeletal fluorosis is probably an unrecognized cause of arthritis. He says that fluorosis in the teeth is an indicator of fluorosis in the skeleton.
posted by Bill at
9:54 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home