This months Pros and Cons comes as a result of our family’s needing to take a deeper look at the issue ourselves. Earlier this month we took our reluctant but happy family to a neighboring town to have a visit with our dentists. Beings there are five of us, we make it an all afternoon event.
Over the past couple of years Hubby’s and my teeth have suffered great losses, reconstruction, and a small fortune of investment. However, our children have somehow come away unscathed, until this month. Pumpkin had his usual wonderful appointment, with a clear warning that his newest molars are not coming in near hard enough. Who-Rae was completely adorable as she climbed the dentist chair determined to proof herself a big girl. Her tiny teeth were wonderful and she even allowed for a fluoride treatment to be brushed onto her itty-bitty pearly-whites.
Unfortunately, Sweet Pea’s turn came and although she did fabulous for her cleaning, we were told of two large black holes that developed in two different teeth. The development of these pits-of-doom was extremely fast considering how deep they are. Of course I got the run-down from the professionals explaining that the craters are most likely much deeper than what can be repaired with basic fillings. So next week we journey the hour and half drive again, and will hope that the repairs can be made as simply as possible.
Over the past several check-ups we have been asked what changes we have made to our diet. Each time we go over the same thing. No milk or milk products, no wheat, fewer eggs, we have cut out most all soda and high fructose corn syrup, we actually eat better than we did two years ago. The change came when the hygienist later asked about our water. Our hometown is famous for the amount of fluoride they put in the water, and yes we drink tap water… oh but wait, we filter that tap water and have for years now. On top of that after reading some of the con’s of excess fluoride, we went with no fluoride toothpaste for our kids. I was left on fluoride because my orthodontist said it was necessary, especially after the long duration I had my hardware on.
Which of course, finally, brings me to this month’s Pros and Cons. Fluoride the good, the bad, and the craziness!
Pros-
According to an article on wikipedia.org a fluoride deficiency can result in more cavities and tooth decay as well as osteoporosis. Also, a study performed in 2003 suggested that areas with higher fluoride content in their water has few cases of Alzheimer’s disease.
APPS.com mentioned the controversy of fluoride being used less in bottled water and how some professionals although disagree about the topic in general, do suggest that non-fluoride water is leading to an increase in early childhood tooth decay.
In 2004 the Surgeon General released a statement noting the public fluoride system is a way to ensure dental health for a lifetime, throughout a community regardless of your financial position.
The American Dental Association states on their site the improvement of 10’s of millions of peoples dental health since fluoride was added to drinking water.
Cons-
Taken from wikipedia.org cases of fluoride toxicity from consumption of excess fluoride can cause weakening of bones and adverse effects on kidneys.
Fluoride Action Network suggests that fluoride is not recommended to use with infants, and that it’s use has adverse effects on animals and humans brains. They also site the adverse effects fluoride has on the thyroid and its ability to function properly.
Fluoridation suggests that fluoride can cause damage to organs, be linked to cancer, and lists several studies linking decreased reproduction in studies observing fluoride.
Livingstrong states:
“Fluoride ingestion has been associated with adverse health effects such as IQ deficits in children, depression, weight gain and heart disease. The “Journal of Applied Clinical Pediatrics” reports that “high fluoride intake has a damaging effect on intellectual ability,” and human studies from China, India, Iran and Mexico found that elevated levels of fluoride in children resulted in reduced performance and impaired development of intelligence.”
Poison Paste even suggests a link between fluoride and fibromyalgia.
Be Well Buzz has an article posted that suggests that fluoride effects the pineal gland which is important in releasing hormones that truly effect a persons happiness. This article suggests that over time fluoride solidifies in this gland obviously causing damage, and the author suggests this being a large possible cause of unhappy people needing to medicate themselves for depression and sleep deprivation.
Adding fluoride use is quite easy. Topically you simply find a fluoride toothpaste, adding fluoride to your insides is easy if your city has fluoride added to their water. If not, fluoride supplemented water can be purchased bottled. There are certain foods that can be consumed to add additional fluoride to our systems naturally.
Removing excess fluoride is quite easy also. Many stores provide brands of toothpaste that do not contain fluoride. Filtering tap water, or purchasing bottled water has never been as easy as it is now.
So what is your take on fluoride?