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Fluoride and health

The justification for compulsory water fluoridation is that it helps prevent tooth decay, though of course it is unnecessary for those who already practise good dental hygiene.

However, fluoride also has many undesirable effects on health. Although the government denies this, the denial is only based on the fact that a link between fluoride and other health symptoms has not been proven in clinical tests. The reason for that is that no such clinical tests have been carried out. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that fluoride affects health, and many health studies have found apparent links between fluoride and various ailments, but the fact that these studies have not been carried out under strict clinical conditions allows government scientists to discount their findings.

Despite government statements that fluoridated water has no risk to public health, the fee paid by the Department of Health to the water companies that add fluoride on its behalf include an element of indemnification against future litigation.

Dental fluorosis

It is now widely accepted that drinking fluoridated water causes dental fluorosis, an irreversible condition caused by ingesting fluoride during the tooth forming years, resulting in a mottled brown staining of the teeth. It is aesthetically objectionable, and expensive to treat. Some health professionals are advising that mothers in areas where the water is fluoridated use bottled water in the preparation of infant milk formula.

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Skeletal fluorosis, osteoporosis

Fluoride can cause musculo-skeletal arthritis, especially in the cervical and lumbar spine. Symptoms include joint and muscle pain, pins and needles and an inability to control extremities. An excessive intake of fluoride can also cause bones to become brittle (osteoporosis.) The problem is widespread in countries such as India, where fluoride occurs naturally in high quantities in the drinking water. But it can also affect people who drink fluoridated tap water.

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Thyroid effects

Fluoride can affect the thyroid gland. For several decades, sodium fluoride was used as a medication to lower the activity of hyperactive thyroid glands. Drinking fluoridated water is not advised if you have an underactive thyroid. Goiter, a swelling of the thyroid gland resulting in marked swellings in the neck, is normally associated with iodine deficiency. Exposure to fluoride can exacerbate this effect. Some medical experts believe that dental fluorisis is actually a symptom of thyroid fluorosis.

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Fluoride poisoning

Fluoride is toxic in high concentrations. Symptoms of fluoride poisoning include:

  • Gastro intestinal: Gastric pain, nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, acute abdominal episodes, inflammation of the mouth.
  • Neurological: Migraine-like headaches, blurred vision with moving spots, convulsions, muscular fibrillation.
  • Respiratory: Nasal and conjunctival problems, emphysema, asthma, nose bleeds.
  • Skin: Dermatitis, inflammation around capillary blood vessels.
  • Other symptoms: Cough, excess mucus, breathing difficulties, mouth ulcers, bleeding gums, palpitations, vertigo, difficulty sleeping, excessive thirst, excessive urination, frequent episodes of lower urinary tract disease, oedema in hands and ankles, joint pains, stiffness, rheumatic pains, rash, marked mental deterioration mainly memory loss and ability to concentrate tinnitus, fatigue and extreme exhaustion.

The definition of "excessive" in this context means significantly higher than the 0.7 to 1.2 ppm amounts recommended for fluoridated water. Nevertheless, many people would prefer not to be forced to consume even small quantities of a poison.

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