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."