Tally Children’s Fluoride Intake Before Starting Fluoridation, Researchers Advise
Often advised but always ignored are dental researchers’ recommendations to tally children’s total fluoride intake before beginning water fluoridation.
Zohoori and Maguire are the latest dental researchers to report, “It is important to monitor systemic fluoride intake from foods, drinks and inadvertent toothpaste ingestion in order to minimize the risk of dental fluorosis” (white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted teeth) (Caries Research, “Development of a Database of the Fluoride Content of Selected Drinks and Foods in the UK,” May 2016)
“Information on total fluoride intake is essential when planning effective community-based fluoride therapy for the prevention of dental caries and/or dental fluorosis,” the researchers write. Fluoridation is a community-based fluoride therapy.
They measured fluoride content of common foods to “facilitate the monitoring of dietary fluoride intake in children,” to minimize dental fluorosis risk. The database is here http://tees.openrepository.com/tees/handle/10149/581272
Zohoori and Maguire reveal fluoride levels in about 500 products including cereal, fish, fruits, nuts, infant milk formula, meat, milk, grapefruit juice, spaghetti, rice and tea. For example, 3 ½ ounces of fish contains 1.05 milligrams of fluoride – a level that’s over toddler’s recommended daily dose – and that’s before the other fluoride burdens are included.
Very high fluoride levels are reported in tea which could also contribute to skeletal fluorosis (an arthritic like disease) http://fluoridealert.org/studies/tea03/
How much is too much?
According to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), to avoid moderate fluorosis (yellow teeth), the adequate daily intake of fluoride, from all sources, should not exceed: -- 0.01 mg/day for 0 – 6-month-olds -- 0.5 mg/day for 7 through 12 months -- 0.7 mg/day for 1 – 3-year-olds Fluoridationists dismiss fluorosis as a harmless cosmetic defect; but it’s actually the only visual sign of fluoride poisoning that can contribute to lowering children's self esteem.
So focused on increasing fluoridation rates then bragging about them in journal articles, news releases and in email messages to this writer, fluoridationists have allowed dental fluorosis to become a new public health dilemma with up to 60% of adolescents afflicted, 3-4% is moderate/severe, according to the CDC. If fluoridation actually saved money by reducing tooth decay, paying for cosmetic dentistry to cover up fluorosed teeth wipes away any alleged savings in increased cosmetic dentistry costs.
The US has a fluoride in foods database, too. It’s here: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Fluoride/Fluoride.html
"There has been an increase in the prevalence of fluorosis," reports Steven Levy, DDS, Professor, University of Iowa, in the May 2003 Journal of the Canadian Dental Association while cavities in primary teeth are still a problem. "With more severe forms of fluorosis, caries (cavity) risk increases because of pitting and loss of the outer enamel," writes Levy. Levy, also Principle Investigator of the ongoing Iowa Fluoride Study measures children's fluoride intake, food and beverage fluoride levels, and relates it to fluorosis, cavities and bone development. Ninety percent of 3-month-olds consumed over their recommended 0.01 mg daily-fluoride-dose. Some babies ingested over 6 mg fluoride daily, above what the Environmental Protection Agency says is safe to avoid crippling skeletal fluorosis. "There is no specific nutritional requirement for fluoride...given the increased prevalence of fluorosis, it may be necessary to revise downward the adequate intake levels for fluoride," write Levy and Warren. "The optimal level of fluoride intake is not known with certainty," writes Levy. "Total fluoride intake is the true fluorosis risk factor However, this is very difficult to quantify," writes Levy who found: * 77% of soft drinks had fluoride levels greater than 0.60 ppm (or 0.60 mg in approximately one quart) * Two ounces daily baby chicken food provides their maximum dose * Children's specially-flavored toothpaste increases fluoride ingestion * Soy-based infant formulas deliver more fluoride than milk-based * Other foods high in fluoride: teas, dry infant cereals, dried chicken, fish and seafood products * Fluoridated water added to powdered concentrate ups fluorosis risk * Grape juices, especially white, contain very high fluoride levels * 42% of all tested juices and juice drinks had fluoride levels greater than 0.6 ppm * Fluoride supplements are generally not recommended * Cereals processed in a fluoridated area contained from 3.8 to 6.3 ppm fluoride
