Fluoride Free Illinois
FLUORIDE FACTS
FACT #1
Unlike all other water treatment processes, fluoridation does not treat the water itself, but the person consuming it. The Food & Drug Administration accepts that fluoride is a drug, not a nutrient, when used to prevent disease. By definition, therefore, fluoridating water is a form of medication. This is why most western European nations have rejected the practice — because, in their view, the public water supply is not an appropriate place to be adding drugs, particularly when fluoride is readily available for individual use in the form of toothpaste
FACT #2
The most obvious reason to end fluoridation is that it is now known that fluoride’s main benefit comes from topical contact with the teeth, not from ingestion. Even the CDC’s Oral Health Division now acknowledges this. There is simply no need, therefore, to swallow fluoride, whether in the water, toothpaste, or any other form. Further, despite early claims that fluoridated water would reduce cavities by 65%, modern large-scale studies show no consistent or meaningful difference in the cavity rates of fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas.
FACT #3
The most important reason to end fluoridation is that it is simply not a safe practice, particularly for those who have health conditions that render them vulnerable to fluoride’s toxic effects.
In 2009, there were 24,547 calls to U.S. Poison Control Centers due to ingestion of fluoride toothpaste.
FACT #4
A growing body of evidence indicates that fluoridated water, in addition to other sources of daily fluoride exposure, can cause or contribute to a range of serious health effects, including arthritis, damage to the developing brain, reduced thyroid function, and possibly osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in adolescent males
FACT #5
The fluoride dose cannot be controlled. Once fluoride is put in the water it is impossible to control the dose each individual receives because people drink different amounts of water. Some people (e.g., manual laborers, athletes, diabetics, and people with kidney disease) drink substantially more water than others.
FACT #6
Due to the risk of severe poisoning posed by ingestion of fluoride toothpastes, the Food & Drug Administration now requires that all fluoride toothpastes sold in the United States carry the following poison warning:
“WARNING: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately.”