British Dentists Are Calling For 'Sugar Free' Schools For This Worrying Reason

Dentists are calling for the government in England to encourage schools to go sugar-free, in an effort to fight cavities.

What if the key to preventing cavities in children was to ban sugar from schools? A group of dentists from the Faculty of Dental Surgery appear to think it is........

What do the dentists recommend?

The Faculty of Dental Surgery delivered a report in which dentists made recommendations to prevent tooth decay among children.

Among them: all schools going "sugar-free", limiting the advertising of sweetened drinks, reducing the amount of sugar in processed baby food, and implementing supervised toothbrushing breaks in schools.

Medical News

Everything you need to know about fluoride treatment

For more than 70 years, most of the tap water in America has contained small amounts of fluoride to reduce tooth decay. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that fluoridated water has reduced tooth decay by about 25 percentTrusted Source......

Summary

Fluoride treatments are safe for most people. Even when there are side effects, those effects are usually minimal compared to the benefits. Most of the harm is likely to come from swallowing very high amounts of fluoride.

This does not mean that all fluoride treatments are safe for all people at all times. People with cavities or at risk of tooth decay should discuss their concerns with a dentist they trust.

Bread, sultanas and even sparkling water: Dentist reveals the surprising foods that are ruining your kids' teeth

Bread, sultanas and even sparkling water: Dentist reveals the surprising foods that are ruining your kids' teeth
Leading dentist Dr Gamer Verdian revealed what's ruining your kids' teeth
He said foods that get stuck and cause decay include bread and sultanas
Dr Verdian also said kids get too much sugar from juice, muesli bars and cereal
By SOPHIE HASLETT FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Bread, sultanas and sparkling water are among some of the most harmful foods for children's teeth, a dentist has revealed.

Dr Gamer Verdian said tooth decay is the number one cause of acute, preventable hospital stays for children in Australia, with over 26,000 cases reported each year, but it is preventable.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Dr Verdian explained why it's not just the obvious things like lollies that cause tooth decay, but also the 'hidden' sugars found in common snack foods for kids like yoghurt, juice, muesli bars and sultanas.

STICKY FOODS 

The first thing Dr Verdian said you should watch out for if you're a parent is 'sticky' foods which get stuck in the grooves of the teeth and create a haven for bacteria.

These include things like soft bread, biscuits and potato chips.

'The longer food stays in the mouth, the more harmful it is for teeth,' Dr Verdian told Daily Mail Australia.

'Encourage children to drink water right after eating these foods, because this will help to wash away bacteria and acids.'

India - No remedy for disease caused by fluoride, says doctor as locals continue to suffer in Jharkhand village

Presence of fluoride in drinking water causing physical disabilities among residents

Palamu: Locals in Chukru village here are suffering from physical deformities since past several years allegedly due to Fluoride contamination in water and doctors said that there is no remedy for the disease.

"Through the bloodstream, the fluoride gets deposited in bones and different organs of the body. It affects ones spine joints and causes disability. Ultimately the persons becomes a liability for the family," said Dr Arun Shukla, senior orthopaedist.

He said that there is no remedy for the disease caused by fluoride.

"Earlier two classifications were there one is dental fluorosis and second is skeletal fluorosis. Unfortunately, there is no remedy for the disease caused by fluoride," he said.

Locals of Chukru village here in the district claim that the presence of fluoride in drinking water is causing physical disabilities among the residents.

Rajeshwar Pal, a villager said, "the contaminated water damages our bones and teeth. Many young people have lost their lives".

"We are facing this issue for the last 25 years. Nobody in the village is above 50-year-old. I am 69-year-old and I am the oldest person here. The government suggests us to leave the place but we all are handicapped. How can we survive somewhere else?" he added.

"Once a social activist came here and took the sample from the hand-pump and well and it was found that the sample had fluoride. I have back pain since last 20-22 years," said Satyanarayan.

Ingestion of excessive Fluoride, most commonly in drinking water can cause fluorosis which affects the teeth and bone. Moderate amounts lead to dental effects, but long term ingestion of large amounts can lead to potentially severe skeleton problems.

Wrong there is a lot more to know, the natural Calcium Fluoride is not the same as the Fluorosilicic acid for a start.

Is Fluoride Bad For You? Everything You Need to Know

Back in 2009, the NHS decided to add fluoride to the drinking water in Southampton since there was a high rate of childhood tooth decay. However, this decision faced a huge backlash from the city’s residents. That, plus its high costs, caused the plan to be scrapped.

As you can guess, fluoride faces a bad reputation. So are you wondering: is fluoride bad for you?

Keep reading. We’ll explore the ins and outs of fluoride so you know everything about its health effects.

What Is Fluoride?

Fluoride is considered a mineral and you can find it in your body; more specifically, in your teeth and bones. In addition, it’s naturally occurring in some foods, which means you probably get a dose of it just by having lunch.

Most places talk about artificially adding fluoride to the drinking water. But did you know fluoride is naturally occurring in all water sources? This means even if your municipality doesn’t add fluoride, you’re still getting a small amount of it whenever you drink a glass of water.

Is Fluoride Good For You?

The most important health benefit of fluoride is it can protect your teeth from decay, which may prevent the need for fillings. But how?

Well, for one, fluoride aids your teeth in enamel remineralisation, which is a process where vital minerals are reabsorbed into your teeth to keep them strong. This fights off harmful bacteria, which eat through your teeth and cause the need for fillings.

Also, fluoride keeps acid levels in your mouth down; this is the waste product from bacteria that feed on the sugar in your mouth. Acid also eats through your teeth, so this also prevents cavities.

Is Fluoride Bad For You?

Fluoride can be bad for you, but not in the ways you’d think. In general, it’s only bad if you get too much of it, and this is only really a problem if you’re an infant or child.

It is important though they don’t swallow too much. If children swallow too much fluoride, they may develop dental fluorosis, and with enough exposure, it can develop into skeletal fluorosis. For this reason, children under six can use a smear of lower dose fluoride toothpaste (1000ppm) when brushing their teeth. 

There’s speculation that fluoride may be linked to certain cancers or other diseases, but there’s no hard, scientific evidence supporting those speculations. So rest assured that in general, fluoride is beneficial and harmless, so long as you watch your intake and monitor any children using toothpaste.

Bottom Line: Fluoride Is Good For Your Oral Health

So is fluoride bad for you? The resounding answer is “no.”

With its powerful and protective properties, fluoride is a substance definitely worth having around. So long as you take the proper precautions to prevent fluorosis, then your entire family can benefit from fluoride’s cavity-preventing abilities.

Overdue for a dental visit? Then book an appointment with us today! If you have a dental emergency, then we’ll strive to see you within 24 hours.

There is a comment page on the original link

How to Clean a Dog’s Teeth: Tools and Tips

Dog-Safe Toothpaste

Your dog does not know how to “spit out” their toothpaste after brushing, so extra care and consideration needs to be given to doggy toothpaste ingredients. Ingredients contained in human toothpaste can be harmful and even toxic to your dog, like fluoride or even xylitol............

Let’s talk about fluoride in the Irish public drinking water supplies

Following the publication of fresh research drawing ‘alarming conclusions’ on the exposure of fluoride to children’s IQs, Biopharmaceutical Clinical Stability Specialist Sarah Griffin, BSc urges that these findings ought to stir debate on the Irish State’s policy of water fluoridation

In a study published in August in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Canada-based researchers showed a significant drop in children’s intelligence quotient (IQ) scores as a result of gestational exposure to fluoride.

The researchers found that for every 0.33 mg/L increase of fluoride in the water that women consumed, 1.5 IQ points were lost in their offspring. Additionally, for every 0.7 mg/L increase, 3 IQ points were lost in young males specifically.(1)

In Ireland, the optimal levels of fluoride in drinking water for prevention of dental caries are 0.6-0.8 ppm (mg/L) – so for every litre of water you drink, there is an average value of 0.7 mg fluoride present.(2)

The study also highlighted that little research has been conducted on how fluoride exposure affects the different sexes, especially in light of the fact that “boys have a higher prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, learning disabilities, and intellectual disabilities”.(1)

Subjectivity of test
Do three IQ points really make a difference, some might ask? Perhaps not, and many would argue that IQ tests are relatively subjective.

Nonetheless, the children were assessed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence test to evaluate skills such as verbal/non-verbal reasoning, verbal comprehension, spatial processing, visual motor skills and general intellectual functioning, all of which would be considered critical indicators of the disorders listed above.

Pregnant tea drinkers
However, water is not the sole source of dietary fluoride. The researchers took into consideration how many cups of tea the women drank throughout their pregnancy, as green and black tea contain 1.9 mg/L and 2.6 mg/L fluoride, respectively.(3,4)

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) released their report on dietary fluoride exposure across the isle in 2018. They estimated that 76 per cent of total fluoride exposure in Irish adults could be attributed to the consumption of black tea.(5)

The FSAI report also compared their estimated daily fluoride exposure limits to the upper limits for safe exposure set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, 2005). While the FSAI report highlights that all population groups were below these limits, in light of this new data on IQ effects, our exposure levels are still quite concerning.

Postnatal exposure
For example, the FSAI report estimates that adults (18+ years) and pre-school children (1-4 years) are exposed to 0.040 and 0.023 mg/kg of bodyweight daily. Assuming that an adult weighs 70kg (as recommended in the report) and that a four-year-old child weighs about 17 kg (averaged paediatric norms),6 then the total ingested daily fluoride shoots up to 2.8 mg and 0.3 mg for adults and children, respectively.

This could potentially equate to an IQ loss of 12 points for every Irish adult, and counting. Of course this is assuming that postnatal exposure to fluoride affects IQ scores in the same way as maternal exposure.

Dental caries
It must be said that there is a wealth of evidence to show that water fluoridation has produced a significant decrease in dental caries rates in many populations across the world.
But this does not address the root cause of dental caries, which arises from excessive sugar in the diet.7 Better dietary choices are simple interventions that can be implemented from birth in order to prevent tooth decay.

Still, a child’s IQ is a very different, and much less straightforward matter. One must weigh the risks of potential IQ loss in children against the benefits of preventable dental decay. It has been a controversial subject in Irish news for the past decade, but are we discussing the issue enough?

Fluoride debate
Until the Irish Government re-evaluates its stance on the age-old fluoride debate in light of this new evidence, every effort must be made towards ensuring this information reaches expectant mothers, allowing them to make informed decisions regarding their health and their children’s health.

Hundreds of Birmingham kids are living with rotten teeth - is your child one of them?

Hundreds of Birmingham children had rotten teeth removed under general anaesthetic last year. New NHS figures show 230 procedures where a child aged 10 or under had at least one decayed tooth taken out in hospital in 2018/19.

Children who have teeth removed in hospital have the procedure done under general anaesthetic because injections to numb the pain would be too traumatic for them to manage.

When they are unconscious, dentists will remove as many rotten teeth as they see necessary.

Sometimes, if a tooth shows the slightest sign of decay, it will be removed in order to prevent the child having to undergo further general anaesthetic at a later stage.
In most cases, tooth decay is caused by having too much sugar and not brushing teeth or cleaning gums properly.

Earlier this year Public Health England said that while children’s sugar intakes have declined slightly in recent years, they are still consuming the equivalent of around eight sugar cubes more than the recommended daily limit – and often eating 11g just at breakfast.

Dentists warned they were seeing cases where teeth had decayed right down to the gum.
The number of procedures for children’s rotten teeth removal was, however, down from 300 the year before.
Across England there were 30,965 procedures where a child had at least one rotten tooth removed.
Again, that was down from the year before, when it stood at 32,059.

In fluoridated Birmingham?
Posted yesterday


LETTER: State of children’s teeth is worrying 

The most successful national preventative measure of dental decay has been fluoridation. In the last century Birmingham added one part per million of fluoride to its water and the benefits have been felt ever since. The furore by anti-fluoridationists stopped progress despite all reputable scientific evidence refuting false claims.

What can you believe?

UK - Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee
Policy Review: Evidence Gathering Session 6
WATER FLUORIDATION
Meeting Objectives: To understand the view opposing a fluoridated water
scheme.
In attendance: Cllrs Dixon (Chair), Davison, Leadbitter, Mann and McClennan
Joy Warren (UK Freedom From Fluoridation Alliance), Linda
Forrest (Fight Against Fluoridation) Dave Forrest (Fight Against
Fluoridation)
Apologies: Cllrs Cunningham and Butler
The main points arising from the session were as follows:
• Questions were raised over Public Health England’s costs and savings
associated with water fluoridation schemes. It was noted that PHE should
have used a similar criteria across all schemes to better reflect the return on
investment of the highlighted oral health improvement programmes.
• There has been a tremendous reduction in dental decay, over the past 40
years, whether water has been fluoridated or not. It was stated that dental
decay rates were universally low.
• It was also reported that both the York and Cochrane reports highlighted a
reduction in dental caries levels of 15%, through water fluoridation, which was
just under half of that identified by the PHE tool.
• Members were also informed that in any water scheme ongoing maintenance
costs would be the responsibility of the local authorities involved. It was
stated that PHE would pay the capital costs initially, but may seek to recover
these costs from local authorities.
• One of the main concerns raised was that adding water fluoridation removes
freedom of choice for an entire population affected. If added to the water
supply, it is impossible to control the amount being used by individuals.
• The main people at risk from fluoridation are the very young, the very old,
those with kidney problems, those who drink a lot of water, such as manual
workers, nursing mothers, take part in a lot of sport, or who are exposed to
fluoride at work or in the environment.
• CWF Schemes are indiscriminate, non-consensual, take no account of a
person’s health and make no impact on a person’s behaviour. Parents and
carers have a very important role to play in oral health education.
• It was reported to the Committee that any dental health benefits from fluoride
are derived from the topical application to the exterior surface of the teeth. No
dental benefit is gained from swallowing fluoride but the risks of exposure to
adverse health effects are increased.
• It was acknowledged as important to improve dental health education to
tackle the causes of tooth decay and not the symptoms. The various
supervised tooth brushing schemes across the country were highlighted as a
positive way forward.
• Concerns were also raised to Members on the effects of exposure to
fluoridated water and the link to a drop in intelligence levels.
• It was also argued that water fluoridation, as practised by the majority of
fluoridating water treatment works in England was not compatible with primary
UK Law. It was also noted that water companies were indemnified against any
issues as a result of a CWF Scheme.
• Increased cases of hypothyroidisms in fluoridated areas were also noted and
in particular the West Midlands.
• It was noted that there was nothing positive about swallowing fluoride and that
fluoridation was not the solution as there were too many side effects to its
use, including dental fluorosis and an effect on intelligence.
• The session was summed up by stating that water fluoridation was
- Inefficient and costly as a treatment for patients
- Unnecessary as there were better alternatives
- Set a precedent of using the public water supply to deliver medication to
individuals
- Breached the fundamental rights of an individual
- Widely opposed
- Legality is questionable
- Uncertainty over the benefits
- Exposes populations to inadequately safeguarded harmful risks.

The Chair thanked everyone for their attendance and contribution and closed the
session.

USA - Fluoride may be removed from Melbourne drinking water, affecting 170,000 across Brevard

For the third time this year, Melbourne leaders will vote on whether to remove fluoride from the drinking water supply of about 170,000 residents across southern Brevard County.

As a regional supplier, Melbourne also provides drinking water for Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Melbourne Beach, Melbourne Village, Palm Shores, Satellite Beach, West Melbourne and unincorporated Brevard County south of the Pineda Causeway.

On Nov. 12, the Melbourne City Council considered about an hour's worth of testimony from fluoride opponents and supporters. Afterward, a motion to stop fluoridating drinking water failed in a 3-3 tie vote. Councilman Tim Thomas, who had a scheduling conflict, was absent.

As a result, the City Council will reconsider the topic during its next meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Melbourne City Hall.

"We're highly regulated. We treat the water. We test the water. We report our findings on a regular and transparent basis. The addition of fluoride to the water is not part of that treatment process," City Manager Shannon Lewis told council members on Nov. 12.

"And so, it's really City Council's policy decision as to whether or not you wish to continue to fluoridate the public drinking water," Lewis said.


Ashley Graham-Smith draws a glass of fluoride-free water Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, at her home in Powell. She is a member of an advocacy group dedicated to ending the practice of public water fluoridation. (PAUL EFIRD/NEWS SENTINEL)
Paul Efird
Paul Alfrey, Mark LaRusso and Julie Sanders voted to stop fluoridating drinking water, while Mayor Kathy Meehan, Vice Mayor Debbie Thomas and Yvonne Minus opposed the idea.

Messages seeking comment were left for Tim Thomas.

Amid similar debate in January, council members decided to continue fluoridating water. A roster of speakers offered opposing opinions, evidence and testimony — and the special meeting lasted four hours.

More: Melbourne to continue fluoridating water, weigh future fluoride voter referendum

More: Can you guess the states with the worst dental health?

City Hall staffers later determined that costs could approach $200,000 to conduct a fluoride referendum during a special election that would include affected communities. Registered voters in Melbourne's water service area: 130,379.

Melbourne started fluoridated drinking water in 1966, as recommended by the Florida State Board of Health. The city's water production division has budgeted $57,000 to buy hydrofluorosilicic acid this fiscal year.

Satellite Beach resident Linda Palmisano has lobbied against fluoridation for about a year and a half at Melbourne City Hall, calling the chemical a neurotoxin that affects the thyroid gland, liver and kidneys.

During the Nov. 12 meeting, Palmisano submitted a black-and-white photo of a truck spraying DDT near children at a New York beach — and a sign on the truck reads, "D.D.T. Powerful Insecticide Harmless to Humans."

"We found out that just wasn't the case. And we found out that with lead and asbestos and mercury, and many other chemicals that were once considered to be safe," Palmisano told council members.


Getty ImagesConventional tap water can contain more than 300 chemicals. Conventional tap water can contain more than 300 chemicals.
Getty Images
However, in a letter to City Council, Florida Dental Association President Rudy Liddell said the average lifetime cost per person to fluoridate a water system is less than the cost of one dental filling — and, in most cities, every $1 invested saves $38 to $43 in dental treatment costs.

"Dental decay is one of the most common childhood diseases — five times as common as asthma and seven times as common as hay fever in 5- to 17-year-olds. Without fluoridation, there would be many more than the estimated 51 million school hours lost per year in this country because of dental-related illness," Liddell wrote.

The Brevard Indian Medical and Dental Association has submitted petition signatures supporting fluoridation from 62 Space Coast physicians with a combined 1,397 years of practice.

During discussion last week, LaRusso said he has suffered from a thyroid condition for a number of years, and his doctor of 26 years said there is a correlation between fluoride and some health issues.

"He can't conclude completely. But he says that it's better to err on the side of safety than not," LaRusso said.

"So, dental health aside, I'm a little bit more interested in what goes past our throat at this point," he said.

Meehan said fluoridation is recommended by the American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, among other organizations.

"Throughout 70 years of research and practical experience, the overwhelming weight of credible scientific evidence consistently indicates that fluoridation of community water supplies is the single most effective, safe and cost-effective public health measure to prevent dental decay and repair early tooth decay," Meehan said.

Wednesday night, the Satellite Beach City Council voted to recommend removal of fluoride by a 4-1 margin.

Mindy Gibson voted yes, saying the fluoride compound added to drinking water is a byproduct of the phosphate industry.

Vice Mayor Mark Brimer voted no, saying drinking water is the only opportunity some children have to receive fluoride.

West Melbourne is Melbourne's biggest water customer. Deputy Mayor John Dittmore conducted a Nextdoor online poll that drew 189 votes as of Friday afternoon. Half of the respondents voted to keep fluoride, while 38% voted to remove it and 12% had no preference.

"My recommendation to the city of Melbourne is to canvass your own dentists and physicians to see what their position is on this matter. And then, make an informed decision based upon the medical community," Dittmore said.

LETTER: State of children’s teeth is worrying

Cllr Paul Doughty is right to be concerned with the number of children referred to hospital for dental extractions (More than 170 children have teeth removed, November 19). As one who has worked in most spheres of dentistry and specialised in treating children, one or two comments are appropriate.

The most successful national preventative measure of dental decay has been fluoridation. In the last century Birmingham added one part per million of fluoride to its water and the benefits have been felt ever since. The furore by anti-fluoridationists stopped progress despite all reputable scientific evidence refuting false claims.

Practical education about care of the mouth and teeth comes from parents, teachers and dental health workers but their impact is dwarfed by commercial companies advertising ‘junk food’. Dental care needs a higher profile by governments to go alongside growing awareness of obesity in children.

Extensive carbohydrates in the form of sweets and the like coupled with lack of mouth care will cause decay and when dentists see a child in pain and with multiple decayed teeth it is obvious that a single general anaesthetic will cause less trauma than multiple local anaesthetics.

All governments have found dentistry difficult to manage financially which is why most dentists can only offer private treatment to adults. There are a legion of regulations relating to dental practice but they come at a considerable price and time.

Julian Crabb,

Retired Consultant,

Do you need to worry about fluoride during pregnancy?

It’s in your toothpaste and mouthwash, and there’s a good chance you’re drinking it, too. But recent research says certain levels of fluoride might not be safe for babies in utero. Here’s what you need to know.

BY ARLENE KARIDIS

If you are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant, you’re likely more aware of what’s going into your body on a regular basis. So a recent study on consuming fluoride during pregnancy that made headlines in August may have given you pause.

Led by researchers at York University in Toronto, the study followed pregnant women in six Canadian cities. In the studied sample, 41 percent lived in fluoridated communities and 60 percent lived in non-fluoridated communities.  When they tested urine samples of the women in communities with fluoridated water, they found higher levels of fluoride. Then, when the children were ages three and four, it was found that the boys of the women with higher fluoride levels had lower IQ scores than children of the women with lower levels during pregnancy. There was no statistically significant association with IQ scores in girls based on maternal urine testing.

Fluoride is a natural mineral found in virtually all water bodies. It’s also usually added to toothpastes and mouthwashes and many regions add more fluoride to drinking water to ensure optimal levels for good oral health. Health Canada guidelines reference 1.5 mg/L as the maximum allowable amount of fluoride in drinking water. However, 0.7 mg/L is regarded as the most effective concentration for oral health benefits.

About 39 percent of Canadians live in communities with fluoridated water systems as of 2017, 74.4 percent of Americans did in 2014.

While fluoride is known to help prevent cavities and tooth decay, accumulating research has some medical experts concerned it may have negative consequences on fetus’ developing brains at certain concentrations. And the latest study is raising even more questions about its potential harm to fetuses—but it’s not without controversy.

Christine Till, a psychology professor at York University and one of the primary investigators in the study, says the study’s findings are a cause for concern. “This study indicates that fluoride ingestion during pregnancy at levels that are found in Canada may not be safe for unborn children. Ingesting too much from fluoridated water and other sources may be detrimental to brain development,” she says.

Till believes women should reduce their fluoride intake during pregnancy until more studies have been done to refute or confirm the findings.

But  not everyone shares this belief. When the study hit the news in August, some called the study’s methodology into question, while others said the difference in IQ levels were not statistically significant when you considered the population as a whole (ie: both boys and girls).

Ferne Kraglund, a public health dentist and assistant dean at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Dentistry in Halifax, stands by Health Canada’s guidelines.

“Pregnant mothers should not decrease their intake of fluoride. They need it to maintain their oral health, which is linked to the health of their newborn babies,” she explains.

Oral health is particularly important during pregnancy, as changing hormone levels can lead to pregnancy gingivitis, with gum swelling, bleeding and tenderness. If untreated, gingivitis may develop into advanced gum disease (periodontitis), affecting bone and gum tissue, which can lead to tooth loss. Some studies link preterm, low-birth-weight babies to severe periodontitis during pregnancy.

Others, however, say this latest study warrants some consideration. “We’ve known for years too much fluoride causes fluorosis [changes in teeth and gums], but we didn’t think concentrations in water that are common in North America would be toxic to the developing nervous system, which the study shows it can be,” says Donald Cole, emeritus professor at the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a physician in occupational environmental medicine.

He believes more studies are needed in young children to better understand the effects on IQ not only from exposure in utero, also the impact on babies and toddlers who drink the water.

For now, Cole says pregnant women should still feel comfortable using fluoridated toothpaste, as long as they don’t swallow it. To reduce fluoride intake, women can avoid black and green tea, which both contain the mineral. You could also consider purchasing specialized filtration systems that removes fluoride from tap water, if it’s in your budget. If you want to reduce fluoride intake, but are worried about tooth decay, you can reduce the amount of sugary and processed foods you eat, as they can cause tooth decay

However, Cole believes municipal fluoridated drinking water is still an important public health policy in places where women and their children are not provided free dental care, as this resource can reduce tooth decay among vulnerable children.

For its part, Health Canada is assessing the latest study. However, it believes the research to date indicates that the current maximum allowable 1.5 mg/L of fluoride in its guidelines poses no health concern, says Health Canada spokeswoman Marie-Pier Burelle.

William Fraser, an ob/gyn and researcher at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, is also giving advice cautiously. He says the new study is well designed and important, but he thinks more research is needed before drawing final conclusions about impact of fluoride in developing brains. The findings need to be replicated to strengthen the conclusions, he says.

“But in light of the current evidence, and until further research findings are available, mothers may wish to avoid fluoride supplementation during pregnancy,” he says. So far, he is not giving his patients any specific advice. “This is still fairly new. But over the next few months our medical group will consider having conversations on fluoride with women and what we will tell them. The study will generate a lot of discussion among practitioners and policy makers on if we should adjust fluoride levels and create policy around it,” he says.

F.A.N. Newsletter

**Yesterday we sent out a bulletin and press release with the incorrect study hyperlinked in the first paragraph.  We apologize for this error and have corrected the link.  Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we work around the clock to provide the latest in fluoride news, science, and campaign alerts.

The Fluoride Action Network has published the press release below.  Please send our corrected PR Newswire version of the release to your local decision makers and the news editors of the media outlets in your community, large and small (newspaper, radio, TV, online).

NEW STUDY: FLUORIDATION LOWERS IQ
OF FORMULA-FED BABIES

A study published this week found a large decrease in the IQ of children who had been fed infant formula reconstituted with fluoridated tap water, compared to formula-fed children living in unfluoridated areas. The study by a research team based at York University, Toronto, followed a large cohort of Canadian mother-child pairs through age 3-4 years and found an average drop of over 4 IQ points for children in fluoridated areas, reports Fluoride Action Network (FAN).

This is the fifth recent study finding neurotoxic harm from early life exposure to fluoride, from two research groups funded with $4 million from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

This study comes on the heels of a comprehensive review of all existing human and animal studies of fluoride neurotoxicity. The review, by the National Toxicology Program of NIEHS, identified 149 human studies and 339 animal studies, but did not include the two most recent studies from the York University group (Till 2019; Riddell 2019).

Based on the large number, quality, and consistency of the studies, it concluded fluoride was a “presumed” neurotoxin.  The draft review is equivocal about effects at low exposures, but these newest high-quality mother-child studies support a conclusion that artificially fluoridated water causes substantial IQ reductions. The size of the effect has been likened to that from lead by experts in the field.

The authors of the newest paper note that fluoride’s dental benefits come almost exclusively from topical contact once teeth have erupted into the mouth.  They conclude:

“In the absence of any benefit from fluoride consumption in the first six months, it is prudent to limit fluoride exposure by using non-fluoridated water or water with lower fluoride content as a formula diluent.”

Paul Connett, PhD, FAN Director added, “Fluoride levels in mothers’ milk are very low (less than 0.01 ppm). Thus, breastfeeding protects the infant from fluoride. This study shows formula made with fluoridated water at 0.7 ppm removes that protection with harmful consequences to the infant’s developing brain. Research consistently shows that fluoride is a threat to both the fetal and infant brain. Unfortunately, low-income mothers cannot always afford non-fluoridated water. These children are also the least able to afford loss of IQ. The only practical and ethical solution is to stop adding fluoridation chemicals to drinking water.”

Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing tooth decay in young children

Question

Does providing pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers of children in the first year of life with preventive dental care (other than fluorides) and information about healthy child diet and feeding practices prevent tooth decay in their children?

Background

Tooth decay in young children (early childhood caries or ECC) is very common, affecting billions of children worldwide, particularly poor children. Early childhood caries can have long-lasting negative effects on health and it costs a lot to treat. It is well known that sugar and dental plaque (bacteria in the mouth) cause tooth decay. The attitudes, beliefs, and habits of pregnant women, mothers and other primary caregivers, influence the dental health of their children.

Study characteristics

We searched for evidence available up to 14 January 2019. We found 17 randomised controlled trials, which is the type of research that provides the most reliable results. The trials involved 23,732 caregivers (mainly mothers) and their children. The trials took place in a mix of high-, middle-, and low-income countries. Participants were from low-income communities in nine trials.

Eleven of the included trials evaluated oral health education and promotion interventions compared to usual care. We divided these into four subcategories: breastfeeding support (two trials), child diet advice only (one trial), child diet and feeding advice (three trials), or child diet and feeding advice combined with advice on keeping teeth clean (five trials).

Preventive dental care aimed at reducing bacteria in the mother’s mouth was evaluated in six trials: four compared putting a special varnish on the teeth compared with a 'placebo' (an inactive treatment that looked the same as the varnish), and two compared the use of chewing gum containing xylitol versus a chlorhexidine dental gel.

None of the included trials assessed programmes aimed at improving access to preventive dental services.

Main results

We found some evidence that children whose mothers (or other caregivers) received advice on healthy diet and feeding practice for infants and children were less likely to have tooth decay up to the age of six than those whose caregivers received the usual care.

The other oral health education interventions (breastfeeding support; advice about best child diet; advice about child diet, feeding and teeth cleaning) did not show that these interventions reduced the risk of tooth decay in young children compared with usual care. However, the findings of these studies were so uncertain that we cannot conclude these interventions do not work.

We found mixed evidence about treatments to reduce bacteria in mothers' mouths and cannot reach firm conclusions about whether or not these could potentially prevent early childhood caries.

None of the included trials indicated receiving funding that is likely to have influenced their results.

Authors' conclusions

Providing advice on diet and feeding to pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers with children up to the age of one year probably leads to a slightly reduced risk of tooth decay in their children during their early years. We need more high quality studies that have a large number of participants in order to find out if there are other interventions with caregivers that can help reduce early childhood tooth decay, and which features of interventions make them effective. We are aware of 12 studies currently in progress.

Authors' conclusions: 

Moderate-certainty evidence suggests that providing advice on diet and feeding to pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers with children up to the age of one year probably leads to a slightly reduced risk of early childhood caries (ECC). The remaining evidence is low to very low certainty and is insufficient for determining which, if any, other interventions types and features may be effective for preventing ECC.

Large, high-quality RCTs of oral health education/promotion, clinical, and policy and service access interventions, are warranted to determine effects and relative effects of different interventions and inform practice. We have identified 12 studies currently in progress. Those designing future studies should describe the intervention components, setting and participants, consider if and how effects are modified by intervention features and participant characteristics, and adopt a consistent approach to measuring and reporting ECC.

F.A.N. Press release

NEW STUDY: FLUORIDATION LOWERS IQ
OF FORMULA-FED BABIES

A study published this week found a large decrease in the IQ of children who had been fed infant formula reconstituted with fluoridated tap water, compared to formula-fed children living in unfluoridated areas. The study by a research team based at York University, Toronto, followed a large cohort of Canadian mother-child pairs through age 3-4 years and found an average drop of over 4 IQ points for children in fluoridated areas, reports Fluoride Action Network (FAN).

This is the fifth recent study finding neurotoxic harm from early life exposure to fluoride, from two research groups funded with $4 million from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

This study comes on the heels of a comprehensive review of all existing human and animal studies of fluoride neurotoxicity. The review, by the National Toxicology Program of NIEHS, identified 149 human studies and 339 animal studies, but did not include the two most recent studies from the York University group (Till 2019; Riddell 2019).

Based on the large number, quality, and consistency of the studies, it concluded fluoride was a “presumed” neurotoxin.  The draft review is equivocal about effects at low exposures, but these newest high-quality mother-child studies support a conclusion that artificially fluoridated water causes substantial IQ reductions. The size of the effect has been likened to that from lead by experts in the field.

The authors of the newest paper note that fluoride’s dental benefits come almost exclusively from topical contact once teeth have erupted into the mouth.  They conclude:

“In the absence of any benefit from fluoride consumption in the first six months, it is prudent to limit fluoride exposure by using non-fluoridated water or water with lower fluoride content as a formula diluent.”

Paul Connett, PhD, FAN Director added, “Fluoride levels in mothers’ milk are very low (less than 0.01 ppm). Thus, breastfeeding protects the infant from fluoride. This study shows formula made with fluoridated water at 0.7 ppm removes that protection with harmful consequences to the infant’s developing brain. Research consistently shows that fluoride is a threat to both the fetal and infant brain. Unfortunately, low-income mothers cannot always afford non-fluoridated water. These children are also the least able to afford loss of IQ. The only practical and ethical solution is to stop adding fluoridation chemicals to drinking water.”

Fluoride at High Levels 'Presumed' a Neurodevelopmental Hazard

Decades after fluoride was first added to drinking water in some parts of the United States, controversy continues about the possible detrimental health effects of fluoridation.

Now, a draft report from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) concludes that fluoride is "presumed" to be a cognitive neurodevelopmental hazard to humans........