USA - Reader objects to fluoridating water

Although Carter Pape’s Aug. 27 front-page article on fluoridating Moab’s water was clearly biased in favor of the practice, I appreciated that he acknowledged that not everyone agrees with it.

A study published in Scientific Reports last year found that those who consume larger amounts of even naturally fluoridated water have higher rates of thyroid dysfunction. This is not surprising since it has been well documented that fluoride displaces iodine, which is a critical part of thyroid hormones. The higher the amount of fluoride in the well water, the more thyroid dysfunction was found. This was true even though the fluoride concentrations only ranged from 0.18-0.96mg/liter (U.S. Public Health Service dropped its recommended fluoridation level to 0.7 in 2015). Ironically, the authors of this study recommended using home filters to remove fluoride from well water while our own government and others are pushing to add fluoride to municipal water supplies.

A review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences last year cited evidence that “fluoride may play a key role in the induction and development of inflammation in Alzheimer’s Dementia and participate in processes of neurodegeneration.

An NIH/EPA study published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2017 found that the higher the level of fluoride in a pregnant woman’s urine, the poorer her child performed on standardized intelligence tests between ages 4 and 12.

An NIEHS study published in JAMA Pediatrics in August 2019 found that “maternal exposure to higher levels of fluoride during pregnancy was associated with lower IQ scores in children aged 3 to 4 years.” Whoever told your reporter about the “debunked myths of water fluoridation decreasing IQ” needs to go back and check the facts. These aren’t outdated/flawed studies, and calling them “debunked” doesn’t make them so.

Yes, fluoride and fluoridation have been shown to reduce cavities … but at what cost to the rest of the body? There are hundreds of studies like the ones I have cited demonstrating harms of fluoride and fluoridation on other parts of the body. The beauty of the internet is that any one of us can go to PubMed, the U.S. Government’s repository of published medical studies, to find out if we are being told the truth.

I believe that we should all have access to good health care and be able to make our own decisions about fluoride. I have spoken to some people that believe their teeth have benefited by fluoridated water during childhood but do not believe that we need to fluoridate Moab’s water. There are other ways to receive fluoride such as in toothpaste and by prescription by a dentist. I don’t think that everyone should be forced to drink fluoridated water and I personally object due to my own thyroid issues.

– Susan Baffico
Moab