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."
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