New York - October 23, 2004 - Cavities rise significantly with
increasing fluoride content of the drinking water, report Wondwossen
and colleagues in the October 2004 dental journal, Community Dentistry
and Oral Epidemiology.



Of 306 12- to 15-year-old children born and raised in Ethiopian
villages with either moderate or high amounts of natural fluoride in
their water supplies, 151 had both cavities and fluorosis (fluoride
discolored or damaged teeth), many in the same teeth. Only six, from
the moderate-fluoride area, had cavities alone.



The moderately fluoridated water supplies contained:



0.4 – 1.4 milligram fluoride per liter of water (mg/L) in 1982 to 1983

0.2 – 1.6 mg/L in 1984 – 1988

0.5 – 1.9 mg/L in 1989 – 1993

0.3 – 2.2 mg/L in 1997



The higher fluoridated water supplies contained from 9 to 14 mg/L over
the same time span.



The study was conducted in 1997.



Cavities developed in 45% and 62% of adolescents in moderately and
highly fluoridated areas with an average of 1.2 and 1.8 decayed,
missing, and filled permanent teeth, respectively.

       

In the U.S., fluoride chemicals get added to water supplies to reach
approximately 1 mg/L or 1 part per million. But fluoride content of
foods (2), beverages, medicines, dental products and air pollution
increase daily fluoride intake to an unknown quantity. This means
total fluoride intake can push children into the fluoride danger zone.
This may be why many fluoridated U.S. cities face cavity crises today.
(3)



Dentist and researcher Hardy Limeback, Head of the Preventive
Dentistry Department at the University of Toronto says, "These low
water fluoride exposures are typical of what U.S. children experience.
The evidence is piling up that our kids can be harmed rather than
helped if their fluoride exposure is excessive."



Lawyer Paul Beeber, President of the New York State Coalition Opposed
to Fluoridation says, "Money is wasted on fluoridation schemes. And,
as this study shows, fluoridation can actually cause the disease it
promises to prevent. No one knows their children's total fluoride
intake. It remains a mystery number until teeth grow in white spotted,
yellow, brown or pitted from too much fluoride."



Regardless of water fluoride levels, Wondwossen and colleagues report
cavity prevalence increased consistently with increasing severity of
dental fluorosis in the second molars, first molars and canines.



"…the present findings are consistent with previous studies from
Africa," Wondwossen and colleagues write. "This strongly indicates
that, within the levels of moderate and high fluoride concentrations,
dental caries experience in the permanent dentition increases
significantly with increasing fluoride content of the drinking water,"
the authors write.



"Two possible explanations may be offered: First, in more severe forms
of dental fluorosis, posteruptive changes lead to the loss of outer
enamel or formation of pits in teeth. Plaque and food debris may be
retained in these areas, contributing to an increase susceptibility to
caries. Secondly, because of the presence of subsurface
hypo-mineralization (not enough calcium, phosphates and/or other
minerals) , teeth with severe forms of diffuse opacities may be
inherently at risk of caries," the authors write



"Wondwossen concludes, "Thus a positive relationship between dental
caries and dental fluorosis was observed across various tooth types in
both areas."





Additional studies linking fluoride to more cavities:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/science-watch/14.htm



References:



1) Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2004 Oct, "The relationship between
dental caries and dental fluorosis in areas with moderate- and
high-fluoride drinking water in Ethiopia," by Wondwossen F, Astrom AN,
Bjorvatn K, Bardsen A.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra
ct&list_uids=15341618



2a) Fluoride in Food

http://www.bruha.com/pfpc/html/f-_in_food.html



2b) USDA National Fluoride Database of Selected

Beverages and Foods

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Fluoride/fluoride.pdf



3) Cavity Crises in Fluoridated Cities and States

http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof2/_pgg6.php3

New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/newyorkstatecoalitionopposedtofluoridation

Fluoride NewsTracker Blog
http://www.fluoridenews.blogspot.com

Fluoride Action Network
http://www.fluoridealert.org