NEW YORK, July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Opposite to what's
expected, children who drink high fluoride water in areas of the African
country, Uganda, have more tooth decay than their equals in low fluoride
districts, and, expectedly, more severe dental fluorosis (yellow or
brown teeth), according to Clinical Oral Investigations (a,b). "No
teeth were lost due to caries (cavities) in the low fluoride district
but 6 of 135 (4%) in the high-fluoride district," report authors
Rwenyonyi, et al.
Ugandan children, aged 10 to 14, with similar socioeconomic
backgrounds and diets, who lived their entire lives in either low fluoride
(0.5 mg fluoride per liter) or high fluoride water districts (2.5 mg
fluoride per liter), were examined for tooth decay by the same dentist,
with results verified. "Surprisingly, there was a significantly
higher caries prevalence and DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth)
score in the high-fluoride district than in the low-fluoride district," the
authors write.
"In one low fluoride area ..., all children were
caries-free compared to 75% to 86% in the other areas," they report.
In contrast, only 65% of fluoride-saturated American
10-year-olds are cavity-free and a, mere, 35% of 14-year-olds are cavity-free(c).
Americans drink fluoridated water, use fluoridated toothpaste, eat
foods and beverages made with fluoridated water, along with fluoride
pesticide residues. Fluoride supplements, mouth rinses, treatments,
varnishes, and other fluoridated dental products are used profusely
in the U.S.
"Fluoride overdose or dental fluorosis increased
dramatically in U.S. children, studies show," says lawyer Paul
Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. "Wouldn't
it be ironic if the glut of fluoride caused the U.S. epidemic of tooth
decay that the Surgeon General recently reported about."
"Government researchers report studies linking fluoride
to less tooth decay are flawed and unscientific," says Beeber. "It's
time to stop adding health-robbing fluoride into the water supplies,
the environment and our bodies."
Neither tooth cleaning nor use of fluoride toothpaste
influenced the cavity rate in the Ugandan children. Only 7% of the
children used a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, while 25% cleaned
their teeth with a chewing stick.
Diets were similar in both the high and low fluoride
groups. The basic diet was composed of complex carbohydrates, e.g.,
cooking banana, cassava, potatoes, maize and sorghum eaten at regular
meals. About 80% of the children reported no between-meal intake of
sugar containing items.
A different paper, presented at a June 2001 meeting of
the International Association of Dental Research by Louw, et al, shows
the same unexpected results with a different African population. Children
drinking 3.0 mg/L water fluoride have more cavities than children drinking
.19 and .48 mg/L fluoride (d).
"Tell your elected officials to stop using your
tax dollars to legislate unnecessary fluoride into your water and food
supply. Fluoride is neither a nutrient nor essential," says Beeber. "It
may damage your health."