F.A.N. Newsletter

 Our friends at the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation (NYSCOF) have published the following “must read” press release on the National Institute of Dental Craniofacial Research’s latest Oral Health report for the United States. It’s worth noting that the US Surgeon General's name is usually added to these reports, but isn't in this case. We can only hope that Dr. Vivek Murthy has some integrity and sees the writing on the wall for the end to fluoridation.

While we await a reply from Dr. Murthy to our letter to the U.S. Surgeon General, we urge you to continue to take advantage of FAN’s automated email campaign that allows you to easily send this letter to your state legislators calling for immediate action. Please click here to send your own letter today.  

Thank you, 

Stuart Cooper
Campaign Director
Fluoride Action Network

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US Report Reveals 22 Years of Effort and Fluoridation Failed to Improve Oral Health

New York -- January 25, 2022 - Despite increases in public water fluoridation, dental visits, sealants, fluoride varnish applications, and significant financial, training, and program investments, oral health hasn’t improved in 22 years, according to a National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Oral Health in America Report (December 2021), reports the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. (NYSCOF).

“America’s shockingly poor dental system, poverty and poor diets are to blame,” says attorney Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President.

Millions of Americans can’t access dental care, while 70% of US children and adolescents are fluoride-overdosed, afflicted with fluorosis (permanently discolored teeth).

“It’s obvious that American’s need dental care; not fluoride or other band-aid fixes,” says Beeber.

NIDCR  reports little improvement since the 2000 US Surgeon General’s Oral Health report revealed “a silent epidemic” and its now-failed Call to Action “to eliminate oral health disparities.”

For example, the NIDCR reports:

• The military continues to face challenges in meeting recruitment goals and military readiness because of oral health-related issues.
   
• Untreated cavities among the poor remain twice that of non-poor. Disparities persist by race/ethnicity status.
   
• Primary tooth decay increased in boys aged 6-11 and didn’t change in adolescents’ and adults’ permanent teeth.
   
• Untreated decay in permanent teeth shows no progress.
   
• In ages 2-11, decayed tooth surfaces increased with a greater impact on boys
   
• Four out of 5 Americans aged 6 years and older experience cavities, irrespective of poverty or race/ethnicity status.
   
• 40% of children have eroded teeth. 

NIDCR cherrypicked Carstairs 2015 to claim “fluoridation achieved wide success in the mid-20th century for primary prevention of dental caries” but left out her fluoridation criticism in the same paper. She wrote: “some of the early fluoridation studies had methodological problems which may have exaggerated their benefits" and "there are still questions about how effective water fluoridation is at preventing dental decay and whether the possible risks are worth the benefits."

Dental Therapists could alleviate the dental access problem; but the politically powerful American Dental Association (ADA) lobbies against their legalization, according to the W K Kellogg Foundation and Wendell Potter

NIDCR admits vitamin D deficiency is a cavity risk. But the ADA turned this nutritional deficiency into a profitable fluoride drug treatment (Nutrients 2021). Forty-two percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient.  None are fluoride-deficient.