Dentists Cause Cavities
By Sally Stride
http://www.mercola.com/2001/sep/26/dentists_cause_cavities.htm
American children consume so much fluoride that it may actually cause
rather then prevent tooth decay.
A new study shows that, otherwise fluoride-free, South African children who
drink naturally fluoridated water, at 3 parts per million (ppm), have more
tooth decay than South African children drinking much lower concentrations,
0.48 PPM and 0.19 PPM fluoride, according to a September 2001 International
Journal of Pediatric Dentistry.
"Significantly more children had decayed teeth in the high fluoride area
than in the other two areas," write authors Grobler, et al.
"The results suggest a positive association between high fluoride levels in
the drinking water and dental caries (cavities)," they conclude. Tooth
decay rates ranged from 1.54 drilled, missing or filled teeth (DMFT) in the
low fluoride areas to 1.98 DMFT in the high fluoride area.
With virtually no dental care or fluoride therapy, these South African
children have less tooth decay than fluoride-saturated American children.
By comparison, American 12- to 18-year olds, had 3.08 DMFT, according to
the Journal of the American Dental Association. African American children
have even higher rates. Americans spent 56 billion dollars on dental care
in 1999 - up 5.6% from 1998.
Neglecting poor diet, organized dentistry prescribes more and more
fluoride, as the only antidote for cavities, in more and obscure ways
without concern for individuals' total fluoride intake.
Sadly, most dentists refuse to actually treat America's poorest who have
over twice the decay rate as the non-poor. As a result, tooth decay is of
epidemic proportions in the US poor and minority populations at the same
time fluoride overdose, dental fluorosis, is growing in incidence and severity.
Cavities increase in people with severe fluorosis according to the dental
textbook, "Dentistry, Dental Practice and the Community," by Burt and
Eklund. But few practicing dentists seem to know this.
Burt and Eklund explain that fluoride concentrations in drinking water,
form a J-shaped curve. With increasing fluoride levels, cavity experience
diminishes to a certain point and then starts to rise again.
The true relationship between water fluoride levels and dental decay is the
J-shaped curve, with the turning point in the J being something between 3
and 4 times the optimal level, they write. Studies show many American
children already exceed this level.
Besides the better known fluoridated dental products, American children are
exposed to artificially and naturally fluoridated water, and the foods and
beverages made with that water then sold in non-fluoridated areas as well.
Some dental products like cements, filling and bonding materials, are
little-known fluoride sources
Medicines, ocean fish, tea, soy baby formulas, fruit juices and
mechanically deboned meat products, and even soda are fluoride sources most
dentists overlook. Air pollution, ocean mist, inhaled shower and humidifier
steam add to a body's fluoride burden, as does fluoride containing
pesticide residues on fruits, vegetables and grains.
Look Ma! More Cavities!!
"Here in Toronto we've been fluoridating for 37 years. Yet Vancouver, which
has never fluoridated, has a cavity rate lower than Toronto's," says Hardy
Limeback, head of the Department of Preventive Dentistry, University of Toronto
Despite decades of fluoridation, Connecticut, New York City, and Boston
report oral health care crises.
Ireland is the only country in Europe to fluoridate most of its population
(73%). Yet, Ireland ranks 6th in Europe in dental decay behind 4 countries
that don't fluoridate and the 10% fluoridated UK. And non-fluoridated
Norwegians, reportedly, enjoy good dental health.
Back here in America, after over 50 years of fluoridation and scrutiny,
more severe fluorosis and more children's tooth decay occurs in fluoridated
Newburgh, New York, than in never-fluoridated Kingston, New York, according
to the NYS Department of Health.
Based on thirty years of study on nearly half a million children, Teotia
and Teotia report "Our findings indicate that dental caries was caused by
high fluoride and low dietary calcium intakes, separately and through their
interactions," according to the journal, Fluoride.
In fact, according to the US Centers for Disease Control "The prevalence of
dental caries in a population is not inversely related to the concentration
of fluoride in enamel, and a higher concentration of enamel fluoride is not
necessarily more efficacious in preventing dental caries."
So what good is fluoride, after all?
Fluoridation gave organized dentistry long-desired but little earned
credibility and respect in the 1950's. Dentists are still at the forefront
of virtually every fluoridation initiative across the country. And
fluoridation has given them political viability, according to their
journals. But, it seems fluoride may only be giving our children more
cavities.
Suite 101 September 14, 2001