Fluoridation Myth: Food, Not Fluoride, Reduces Cavities
Food, Not Fluoride, Reduces Cavities
From New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Source: ENN - Enviromental News Network
New York - February 2004 - Cavities occur in sixty-percent of U.S. preschool children, and more often in the poorly nourished, according to the January 2004 Journal of the American Dental Association(1). Federal statistics indicate poor health is closely associated to bad teeth regardless of fluoridation levels.
About 2/3 of Americans drink fluoridated water. But those skipping breakfast and fruits and vegetables still have more cavities, according to researchers, Dye et al.
Sixty percent of Northern Ireland prechoolers have tooth decay also and they aren't served fluoridated water.(1a) Food, not fluoride, reduces cavities.
Because skipped breakfast is associated with higher caloric intake, poor nutrient intake and obesity, Dye and colleagues used skipped daily breakfast as an indicator of poor nutrition along with not eating required 5 fruits and vegetables daily.
Over sixty years ago, dental researcher Weston Price examined various countries' inhabitants and their food choices. He discovered that bad teeth are created by poor diets(2).
"In their zeal to promote fluoride, dentistry, ignoring diet, may have helped create a billion-dollar toothpaste industry while enabling an appalling tooth decay national epidemic(3) to fester and grow like the unfilled cavities in Medicaid patients who are often refused dental treatment(4)," says lawyer Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation (NYSCOF).
Dental care is the largest unmet health need of school age children, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).(4a) "1985 was the year
that the ADA stoped funding diet-related caries research, which may reflect a lack of interest but not a lack or an excess of knowledge,"
according to "Caries Research," (38,S1,04)
Federal statistics support the poor health/more tooth loss association, regardless of fluoridation levels.
For example, 87% of West Virginians drink fluoridated water(5); yet, they are the most toothless in the country(6). West Virginia is also one of the least healthy states for heart disease(7) and diabetes(8a,b), two diet-related ailments.
Conversely, in Utah, where only 2.8% of water supplies are fluoridated, residents lose the fewest teeth in the country due to decay and gum disease. Utah ranks as one of the healthiest states by United Health Foundation(7) and are least likely to develop heart disease - a measure of obesity, hypertension and sedentary lifestyle. Utah is also one of four states with the lowest diabetes rate(8).
Despite excellent dental health, fluoridation, costing over $4.5 million(9a), is being forced on more Utahans while low-income families with the most dental needs are neglected(9b).
Fluoridation failed Kentucky, too(12a,b).
"Obviously, the public is being sold a 'bill-of-goods' by the fluoridation promoters," says Beeber.
The Centers for Disease Control asserts that fluoridated water saves from $7 to $42 in dental care for every fluoridation dollar spent(10).
However, after decades of water fluoridation, virtually all Americans consume a fluoridated food and/or water supply. Yet, "dental spending outpaces economic growth, continuing a trend," reports the American Dental Association(11)
New York State is 70% fluoridated but two very populous counties, Nassau and Suffolk (Long Island) are totally fluoridation free. In New York State 18.3%, lost 6 or more teeth due to decay or gum disease(13a) while only 16.2% of Long Islanders did.(13b)
New York City is 100% fluoridated, yet 20.9% of Brooklyn(14a) and 19.9% of Queens(14b) residents lost six or more teeth, more than non-fluoridated Long Island and partially fluoridated New York State.
Past news releases show that New York City poor children have more tooth decay than the national average.(15a,b)
Actually, dental crises appear in many fluoridated cities. (See: Cavity Crises In Fluoridated Cities http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof2/_pgg5.php3)
Contact: Paul Beeber, Esq., nyscof@aol.com http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof
References:
(1) "The relationship between healthful eating practices and dental caries in children aged 2-5 years in the United States, 1988-1994," Journal of the American Dental Association, January 2004
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/jada/
(1a) http://www.4ni.co.uk/industrynews.asp?id=25290
(2) "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration," by Weston Price
http://www.westonaprice.org/book_reviews/nutrition_physical.html
(3) First Ever U.S. Surgeon General's report on Oral Health
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/news/052500.asp
(4) "Low-income families have limited access to dentists," American Public Health Association, The Nation's Health
http://www.apha.org/journal/nation/dentalexcl1200.htm
(4a) http://news10now.com/content/health/healthy_living/default.asp?ArID=11001
(5) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, "Percentage of State Population Served by Public Water Systems Receiving Fluoridated Water?2002,"
http://www2a.cdc.gov/nccdphp/doh/synopses/WaterFluoridationV.asp?Year=2002&sort=2
(6) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Prevalence Data, Oral health - 2002; Lost 6 or more teeth due to decay or gum disease
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/list.asp?cat=OH&yr=2002&qkey=6605&state=US
(7) "State Health Rankings 2002," United Health Foundation http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/shr2002/components/outcomes/HeartDisease.html
(8a) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, "State-specific Estimates of Diagnosed Diabetes Among Adults,"
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/state/f6dt2002.htm
(8b) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, "State-specific Estimates of Diagnosed Diabetes Among Adults,"
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/state/table16.htm
(9a) "On the up & up Fluoridation costs much higher than health department estimate," Tuesday, January 13, 2004, Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau, by Matthew Flitton
http://www.standard.net/standard/search_bykey.html (Sign-up required)
(9b) "Filling a Big Cavity," The Salt Lake Tribune, January 29, 2004, Editorial
http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Jan/01292004/opinion/opinion.asp
(10) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, "Preventing Dental Caries,"
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/pe_factsheets/pe_oh.htm
(11) "Dental spending outpaces economic growth, continuing a trend," January 19, 2004, ADA News
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/current.asp
12a) "State's poor dental health part of larger problem," by William Allen, February 1, 2004, Courier-Journal,
http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/02/01ky/wir-front-tooth0201-12144.html
12b) More Teeth Lost as Fluoride Use Increases
http://www.suite101.com/print_article.cfm/11749/103747
13a) http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/display.asp?cat=OH&yr=2002&qkey=6605&state=NY
13b) http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss-smart/MMSARiskChart.asp?yr=2002&MMSA=83&cat=OH&qkey=6605&grp=0
15a) http://www.enn.com/direct/display-release.asp?objid=D1D1364E000000F3733F2C0618E21B27
15b) http://www.enn.com/direct/display-release.asp?objid=D1D1364E000000F31139E7E76C7308FB
For more information, contact:
Paul S. Beeber
President & General Counsel
New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation
PO Box 263
Old Bethpage, NY 11804
nyscof@aol.com
Web site: http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof