Fluoride is added to many water supplies as a public service to reduce dental cavities in children. Fluoride does help reduce cavities, at the right dose and administered in the proper way. Fluoride belongs in a dentist's office, where it can be administered properly to those individuals who wish to have this treatment. In tap water, flouride is a pollutant.

In the early 1900s a dentist in Colorado Springs, Colorado--where there are naturally high levels of fluoride in the water--discovered that many local residents had mottled teeth. They also had fewer cavities. After many years of research, he and another dentist determined that fluoride levels of up to 1 ppm (1 mg/liter or .91mg/quart) did not cause mottled teeth, but did reduce cavities. Fluoride was first added to public water supplies in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1945.

Currently, communities who fluoridate their water add 1 ppm fluorosilicic acid to the water. The American Dental Association has set standards for the optimum dose of fluoride for children of different ages, and how much fluoridated water they should consume. From birth to 6 months, a baby should have NO fluoride, and so they recommend drinking bottled water. It is not until a child reaches six years of age should they have 1 mg/day of fluoride, which is less than 4 cups of water spiked with 1 ppm fluoride.

In 1986, the EPA set a maximum contaminant level for fluoride. Above 2 mg/liter (1.82mg/quart) "children are likely to develop objectionable dental fluorosis" and parents must be officially notified. Above 4 mg/liter, individuals are at risk of developing "crippling skeletal fluorosis." It is against federal law to fluoridate water above 4 mg/liter (2.73mg/quart).

There is no need, however, to add fluoride to our public drinking water supplies in order to get the recommended dose. U.S. Public Health Service documents show that even in communities where fluoride is not added to the water, residents receive an estimated 3 to 7 milligrams daily. It's easy to exceeded the optimum level when you combine the fluoride found in tap water with the fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwashes, and the fluoridated water used in reconstituted fruit juices and other processed foods and beverages. A glass of milk gives a dose of .173 mg. A bowl of breakfast cereal contains 1.80 mg (individual samples vary). Already at breakfast it's too much. Studies at the University of Arizona found that "the more fluoride a child drank, the more cavities appeared in the teeth," and the "scientists noticed an increase in cavities and missing and filled teeth in children participating in fluoridation programs." There may have been a time in the past when fluoridated water made sense, but with all the additional exposures we have today, it can do more harm than good.

In times past it was believed that children's teeth would benefit from ingesting fluoride. Drinking water was thought to be an economical way to get fluoride to all children. New research shows that what benefits there are from fluoride come from putting fluoride directly on the tooth. Ingesting fluoridated water is known to mottle teeth, make bones more brittle, weaken the immune system, impair thyroid function and cause heart disease, genetic damage, birth defects, and cancer. It also affects the mind. Fluoride is the primary agent in many pharmaceuticals intended to effect brain activity, such as Prozac.

Fluoride is also easily absorbed through the skin when we bathe, where it has no benefit to teeth and can systemically harm our bodies.

If you want to effectively remove fluoride from your water throughout the house, the only filter I know of that will do an effective job (and the one I have in my own home) is at Go Beyond Organic.

As of this writing in September 2005, over 7000 environmental and public health professionals who work for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have called for a moratorium on drinking water fluoridation programs across the country. The group, made up predominantly of EPA scientists, has sent letters to key Congressional committees and the EPA Secretary, calling for the EPA to classify fluoride as a human carcinogen. The National Academy of Sciences has been instructed to review relevant studies and report to Congress and the EPA on the topic in early 2006.

For more information on fluoride, visit:
Citizens for Safe Drinking Water
Fluoride Action Network
Fluoride: Protected Pollutant or Panacea?

These sites will give you the broad overview of the issues and have links to many other websites.

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