of course flouride is toxic in high enough doses, but in low doses it seems
to strengthen bone matrix. The key is in the dosage.

Here is an objective review of the fluoridation literature by
scientists at the University of York in England:
http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/fluoridnew.htm

What the 'York Review' on the fluoridation of drinking water really
found

28 October 2003

For immediate release

A statement from the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD).

In 1999, the Department of Health commissioned CRD to conduct a
systematic review into the efficacy and safety of the fluoridation of
drinking water. The review specifically looked at the effects on
dental caries/decay, social inequalities and any harmful effects. The
review was published on the CRD Fluoridation Review website and in the
BMJ in October 2000.

We are concerned about the continuing misinterpretations of the
evidence and think it is important that decision makers are aware of
what the review really found. As such, we urge interested parties to
read the review conclusions in full at
http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/summary.pdf.

We were unable to discover any reliable good-quality evidence in the
fluoridation literature world-wide.

What evidence we found suggested that water fluoridation was likely to
have a beneficial effect, but that the range could be anywhere from a
substantial benefit to a slight disbenefit to children's teeth.

This beneficial effect comes at the expense of an increase in the
prevalence of fluorosis (mottled teeth). The quality of this evidence
was poor.

An association with water fluoride and other adverse effects such as
cancer, bone fracture and Down's syndrome was not found. However, we
felt that not enough was known because the quality of the evidence was
poor.

The evidence about reducing inequalities in dental health was of poor
quality, contradictory and unreliable.

Since the report was published in October 2000 there has been no other
scientifically defensible review that would alter the findings of the
York review. As emphasised in the report, only high-quality studies
can fill in the gaps in knowledge about these and other aspects of
fluoridation. Recourse to other evidence of a similar or lower level
than that included in the York review, no matter how copious, cannot
do this.

The full report is available via the CRD Fluoridation Review web site
(http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/fluorid.htm).
---

New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof
http://tinyurl.com/ad9k

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

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