Fluoride Conspiracy.... Fact, or Fiction ?????

 

For  years we have gone around about the dental benefits or dangers of  fluoride without any definitive answers.   Every so often a new  "conspiracy theory"  would surface.  Just like you, as a dentist I am also  confused by the conflicting info out there.   The American Dental Association always  has supported fluoride use and the dental branch of NIH has been researching it and  amalgam forever ... still never finding problems with either one.   A secretary on the phone there [NIDH] once  laughingly  responded to me that if it was not for fluoride and amalgam they would probably be  out of business !!!! That spoke volumes to me!

First, let me say that  there are times when it  does seem to be helpful to specific patients with problems of sensitivity  and/or  out of control decay.  Does that a mean it's good for  everybody? Is it good for  kids?  Should it be in our water?   Probably not.

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If it is used at all,  it only needs to be  used on the surface of teeth and then spit out.  It does not need to be taken internally as in  drinking water.  Flouoride is a very toxic poison.  It is a known neurotoxin -toxic to nerve tissue.

Another issue  that I  have never seen good info on is whether it interferes with thyroid function.  If you remember from  school, the thyroid needs a certain amount of iodine to function properly.  Well, it  just so happens that  fluorine is very similar to iodine [chlorine is, also] so we have  two things added to water that  maybe can compete with the iodine receptor sites and block them from  correct interaction with  the thyroid hormone. 

That might mean that even if you test for thyroid hormone and the results show you have  plenty, you might not be able to get the benefit  from it !  Could that be at least part of the reason why  people in the USA are  generally overweight?  .......Hypo-thyroid? Even if they  test ok?

Now, understand, please !!!! I am not qualified to  be sure of  what the answer is on this, but it's a question that I have been asking for years.

Perhaps someone reading this has the  suitable  medical / biochemical / endocrinology background to tell me the answer to this question.  I'd appreciate it and I would pass it on to my other readers.

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Perhaps we have a partial answer about the "myths"  surrounding the fluoride issues.  A reportedly prominent  fluoride  researcher, Phyllis Mullenix , PhD and toxicologist  has published an article in the  Oct-Dec, 2005 issue of  the  International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health [ according to "Dental Truth" newsletter, a publication of DAMS, Int'l.]

The newsletter abstract of her  research article  reports that  she  went back to check the original  industrial  reports  of the Manhattan Project, the US project to develop the Atom bomb in the late 1940's and 50's.

Conspiracy theories  have long been around that fluoride dumping in water supplies and fraudulent government  conspiracy schemes resulted from the A-bomb/ uranium production industry!!!

Dr. Mullenix writes that  the fluoride  industries' own  data  from over 50 years ago showed that  fluoride  is toxic.  She reports essentially that  the data was manipulated fraudulently to  show the results the industry [and the  US government?] wanted to see.  The  general idea here is that the fluoride waste needed to be disposed of and it was a priority industry  for the government so we could develop nuclear weapons.

In short, data showing toxic results to people exposed to fluoride was  changed to show that - not only was it OK, but that - it was actually BENEFICIAL !!!!

A striking example of how this  can easily be done is the following: It was claimed in an  ADA article that the workers [exposed to  fluoride] had fewer  filled and decayed teeth. 

WOW! That must mean  that  it reduced their rate of  tooth decay, right?... Well, not exactly.  The truth is, according to Mullenix, that these workers had lost  almost all their teeth... so of course, they had fewer decayed and  filled teeth than the  control group that did not have  exposure to fluoride. They didn't have hardly any kind of teeth at all!  And clearly, at least part of the reason they had  lost their teeth seemed to be related the fluoride.

She goes on to  document  many other examples  of how data  was manipulated to show  what the industry [and government agencies?] wanted to see.

Those of you  that  understand how  research and statistics work in the real world will easily understand how this  can be done .... all with a handshake and a wink  when  the interested parties are trying to show a  biased result rather than objective "pure scientific" research - if that  actually exists at all.  But in the name of morality and ethical  conduct, researchers are supposed to at least  "try" to keep their  work objective and truthful.  What  Mullenix shows is just the opposite.

So perhaps we have the door open a bit now and perhaps  we will be able to get closer  to the truth.

 

     

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Holistic dentistry is an approach to dental treatment, primarily  caring for  patients' health and safety from both a conventional as well as  "alternative healthcare" point of view.   It is sometimes called "biological" dentistry or "biocompatible" dentistry.  In it's fullest sense, I believe it   acknowledges and deals with  the mind, body and spirit of the patient, not just his or her "teeth".  See Topics / Info.....

Cosmetic dentistry is about doing   quality , esthetic dentistry in a way that looks natural to begin with, and furthermore,   can even  improve  one's  attractiveness through techniques such as bonding, bleaching, veneers, caps, implants and more.  It can   be like "instant orthodontics" in correcting  crooked, twisted or misplaced teeth in many instances.  Dark or mis-shapen teeth can be restored.   Smiles that lack youthful vigor or beauty can be revitalized! See Topics / Info..

In holistic dentistry there is an effort  to find  biocompatible materials to use to reduce toxicity for  everyone, especially the chemically sensitive.  Amalgam use is avoided   in holistic dentistry (" amalgam free" or "mercury free") due to concern about possible toxicity problems.  Amalgam removal  and replacement with natural-looking bonded materials is a common holistic dentistry treatment as well as a common cosmetic dentistry  treatment.   Detoxification, especially of residual mercury deposits in body tissues from amalgams is often done.  Root canals are controversial  in holistic dentsitry and are discussed under topics.  And much more....

Bleaching, veneers, bonding, caps, bridges, and implants  are cosmetic dentistry treatments that are also  discussed in  Cosmetic Dentistry, and more...

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