There's Something In The Water

Starting in the 1940’s sodium fluoride was put into some drinking water supplies to improve dental health.  Sodium fluoride allegedly acts as a topical cleanser for the tooth’s surface but there is no benefit from ingesting the chemical.  Fluoride has now came under some scrutiny by those who question what reason’s its in the drinking water if there is no real evidence that it improves dental health.  Fluoridation of public drinking water is being pushed further and further to communities even though there is no correlations between fluoride consumption and dental health but yet there are multiple, direct correlations between consumption of fluoride and several health risks.  In a 1986-1967 study by the National Institute of Dental Research observed 84 areas of the United States that were either fluoridated or non fluoridated, observing 39,000 children, there was no noticeable difference in dental health in areas with fluoride in the drinking waters.     Most of the American water systems, 64 percent, are fluorinated the only countries with a higher percentages are Brunei, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, and Malaysia with 95%, 80%, 70%, 100%, 73%, and 75%, respectively.  In total twenty-seven countries have water fluoridation programs only 11 have more than 50% but in 12 of these countries it affects under 20% of the population. Sodium Fluoride is a naturally occurring chemical that in some areas there are high areas of in the natural water supply that they actually try to take out of the systems to avoid ingestion such as in China and India.  If they are administrating into to us for dental health reasons it should be considered a drug. If it is a drug isn’t widespread uncontrolled dosing of chemical goes against all new administration philosophy of patient by patient controlled medication process. The FDA has categorized it as a pharmaceutical drug.  Any mass drug administration is completely illogical and unethical.  This is comparable to forcing us to take aspirin to prevent headaches.  In addition fluoridated water could be used in most things we consume causing an over administration as it has contaminated the food products we eat.   Most toothpaste is made with fluoride as the active ingredient which should be all we needed to provide our teeth with a topical dose of fluoride. With little research to show fluoride improves dental health at all this process seems more like poisoning as it is forced into our bodies with the water that is most essential to life and well-being.  In New Jersey we have the second least access to fluoridated water, and with recent registration trying to force it upon our state, serious research on the possible effects of fluoride need to be done to not jeopardize the youth’s future health, not veering down the paths of most of the other states.

            The means the fluoride salts are collected is startling enough.  Near 95% of the fluoride salts used come from a byproduct of phosphate fertilizer plants the heating process they use to refine the phosphate releases combustion of Fluorosilicate Acid (FSA) also known as hydro fluorosilicate (HFS). These chemicals were once let release into the air but death of livestock and crops in surrounding areas were attributed to the refineries and they had to find away to prevent it from expelling it into the open air.  The byproducts are collected on sponge-like rotors similar to that of a car wash called “wet scrubbers” and have to be collected by workforce wearing protective gear as it is considered radioactive waste.  It is then sold by the companies to the fluoridating communities amongst the country.   

            This toxic chemical fluoride passes through the kidneys and out in urine while some is not excreted out of the kidney, eventually it builds up leaving the kidneys susceptible to illness.  The fluoride then reaches other internal parts of the body at a higher rate also kidneys that are already impaired are more susceptible to fluoride caused problems. There is evidence that fluoride is neurotoxin that negatively affects the brain’s function.  A group of Harvard researchers conducted a study and came to the conclusion: “Children in high fluoride areas had significant lower IQs than those in low or no fluoride areas”. With significant evidence pointing to potential neurotoxicity some has asked how dental health is more important than mental health.              All these potential harmful factors just for dental health and pretty teeth seem absurd right?  What else is absurd is now 40% of kids 12-15 suffer from dental fluorosis that discolors the teeth by damaging the enamel, it is caused by too much fluoride exposure in the first 8 years of life when the body is very susceptible.  The teeth can have white blotches, spots, and steaks or even brown stains that are very cosmetically unattractive.  Our teeth are the only bones that grow we can visible see the condition; this has raised concern as to what it is doing to our other bones.  In other countries with natural high levels of fluoride there is a common condition called skeletal fluorosis that is very similar in symptoms as arthritis.  Many Americans may be under impact of skeletal fluorosis as it has been disregarded by us and the western world as a potential problem. Skeletal fluorosis is often indistinguishable from many other commonly known joint and bone diseases so it can be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis or some other condition and fluorosis is rarely considered. The fluoride's impact on bones can be as severe as osteocarcoma (bone cancer) Everyone needs to be aware of what is going to our bodies and the possibly impact in order to protect our futures health.