UK Fluoride Blues
by Professor Paul Connett

The news from the UK keeps flooding in as the Blair government attempts to foist fluoridation on an unsuspecting British public. The two local news reports printed below fall into a familiar propaganda pattern (and the Blair government is good at propaganda).

Local dentists or dental groups use largely unpublished small studies of dental decay (with little or no control for economic level which is a more critical predictor of tooth decay than lack of fluoride) to 'hype the magic bullet' of water fluoridation. They nearly always work in percentages which completely obscure the minimal (if any) saving in tooth surfaces involved, even if such savings were actually statistically significant, which they often are not.

For example the famous Brunelle and Carlos study from 1990 (the largest ever carried out in the US looking at 39,000 children in 84 communities) found a saving of 18% of the tooth surfaces (average for 5-17 year olds) living all their lives in fluoridated as opposed to non-fluoridated communities. This was championed by the authors as demonstrating the benefits of fluoridation. However, hold the applause. Not only did they not report a statistical significance (if any) of these results but the 18% saving amounted to only 0.6 of one tooth surface out of 128 tooth surfaces in a child's mouth - in other words an absolute saving of less than 0.5% of their tooth surfaces!

And what are the risks? None according to the expert quoted in one of these articles, "Dr Garnett said she had no evidence to suggest fluoride had any adverse health effects." Which is another way of saying that she hasn't read the literature.

Fortunately, the latest issue of The Ecologist has printed two hard-hitting articles on the dangers of fluoridation, so at least some people will be warned. Unfortunately, it is too late to influence the House of Lords, which incredibly voted to modify the water bill to allow water companies (which fluoridate) to be exempt from litigation. Peer pressure?

This issue of The Ecologist also contains an excellent article by Sally Fallon on the important work of Dr Western Price, who showed among many things that so called 'primitive peoples' had excellent teeth and health prior to the imposition of Western sugary diets.

PS:

Fluoridation Victories

Some very exciting news from Korea just in from the Korean National Coalition Against Fluoridation. Not only have four city councils (Chongju (pop. 500,000), Pohang (pop. 500,000), Gwacheon (pop. 70,000) and Uiwang stopped fluoridating their water, but also the Korean Medical Association as well as the Korean Pharmaceutical Association have withdrawn their support for this practice.

This news, coming a few months after Basel, Switzerland halted fluoridation after 41 years of the practice, is further evidence that this practice is losing what little international support it ever had. The English speaking countries are getting more and more isolated in their obstinate pursuit of this obsolete form of medicine.

Heartiest congratulations to our Korean colleagues.

Paul Connett

Leyland Today, 30th July 2003
Health chiefs call for fluoride boost

Health bosses are calling for fluoride in water supplies across Chorley and South Ribble to be boosted to stop childrens' teeth rotting.

Dental experts say the area has only seen a three per cent improvement in the number of missing, decayed and filled teeth, compared to a national improvement of 11 per cent. And they are worried the districts won't be able to meet the 2003 national target of an average of no more than one decayed, missing or filled tooth per 12 year old.

Now they want to increase the levels of fluoride in water supplies. In a report to the Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust, public health director Shelagh Garnett and consultant in dental public health Gary Whittle, recommended the board support fluoridation.

They say in seven wards in Chorley and six in South Ribble, each child would have an average of at least one and a half fewer teeth affected by decay if the water was fluoridated. Fluoride is partially absorbed into the enamel of the teeth, helping it resist acid from sugary food.

The experts say this would reduce the number of children suffering from pain and swelling and cut down on the 400 general anaesthetics administered yearly for tooth extractions.

The trust board will now work with local authority officials to gauge public opinion on the matter.

But a move to fluoridate the water would prompt a protest from the National Pure Water Association and the North West Council Against Fluoridation. They claim fluoride is the toxic waste of the phosphate industry and a grade two poison. But Dr Garnett said she had no evidence to suggest fluoride had any adverse health effects.

She said: "Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral. We are not suggesting putting something in that isn't there. We are suggesting raising the level of a natural substance. Fluoride alone won't have any effect - it must go hand in hand with a better diet and better oral hygiene."

Further Resources:
Health Wars by Phillip Day

Available from www.credence.org

Also, Professor Paul Connett's excellent site at www.fluoridealert.org