New Studies: Fluoridation Fails to Reduce Cavities

April 18, 2012

Activist Post

By PR Newswire-US

“So they’ve been selling us lies all along. Not only is fluoride a toxic waste – it seems it doesn’t help fight cavities after all.” –KTRN

New research shows that fluoride chemicals added to U.S. public water supplies are not reducing tooth decay as promoted and promised by government agencies, reports the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. (NYSCOF).

sing federal statistics, the West Virginia University Rural Health Research Center reports that urban U.S. children, with more exposure to fluoridated water and dental care, have just as many cavities as less fluoridation-exposed rural children. (1)

The researchers write: “For children’s dental health measures, it was found that fluoridation rates were not significantly related to the measures of either caries or overall condition of the teeth for urban or rural areas.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says fluoridation reduces tooth decay. But, this study and others shows it hasn’t. Tooth decay crises are occurring in all fluoridated cities, states and countries. And, the CDC reports the incidence and severity of children’s primary tooth decay recently increased.

“Fortunes are wasted on fluoridation schemes that fail to prevent cavities while unnecessarily exposing children to fluoride’s adverse drug effects,” says attorney Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President.

New York City spends millions of dollars annually on fluoridation. Yet another study proves fluoridation fails in NYC also.

Click here for the full report.

7 Troublesome Ways Teens Destroy Their Teeth

February 21st, 2012

CBS News

There are plenty of seemingly harmless or discreet activities teens do that affect their oral health and may lead to infections, painful toothaches or even life-threatening complications.

Since February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, keep clicking as Dr. Doyle Williams, associate professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and chief dental officer at DentaQuest, explains 7 ways teens are destroying their teeth…

Click here for the full report

Amesbury, Mass., Residents Vote To Stop Water Fluoridation Initiative

November 14, 2011

Natural News

By Jonathan Benson

“The entire country should be taking the same steps as Amesbury, MA to get rid of water fluoridation.” –KTRN

Residents of the Massachusetts coastal city of Amesbury have successfully defeated a measure that would have restored a policy to once again begin adding sodium fluoride chemicals to the city’s water supply. In a vote of 1,677 to 1,352, 55 percent of area residents declared to city officials and to the world that they are not interested in forcefully medicating their entire community with fluoride chemicals at taxpayers’ expense.

Amesbury first began adding sodium fluoride chemicals to its water supply back in 1967. But in recent years, concerns about the source and quality of the chemicals put the program on hold. Health officials had been pushing to reinstate the fluoridation program, but the local Board of Health decided to present the issue before voters for consideration.

Before the election, when Amesbury was still a town — voters also approved a measure to convert Amesbury from a town into a city during the same election — officials held a town hall meeting to discuss the fluoride issue. The Board of Health voted 3 to 1 to recommend a “yes” vote on the fluoridation measure, but several concerned citizens also showed up to oppose the measure, which was ultimately left up to voters to decide.

In the end, Amesbury residents decided to scrap the fluoridation program despite the Board of Health’s endorsement. And it was all made possible, in part, by the willingness of one local resident, Christopher Martel, who stepped up to the plate and led a campaign to inform his neighbors about the dangers of fluoride.

Click here for the full report from Natural News.

Water Fluoridation War. Government Admits Dangers, Experts Speak Out

November 9, 2011

Natural Society

By Andre Evans

“To learn more about the dangers of fluoride, see this web site.”  –KTRN

It was only a few years ago that if you labeled fluoride as a dangerous substance, you would be laughed at and scorned. For years, a select minority of individuals were the only ones raising the awareness of this health concern. Their cries have been and continue to be met with dissonance, despite the fact that the public’s opinion on fluoride has changed much in just a short time. In fact, even the United States government has called for lower levels of water fluoridation following a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, which found that increased fluoride consumption led to decreased IQ in children.

Communities are attempting to end water fluoridation, mainstream news is acknowledging its negative effects, and even a number of professional dentists have recognized the dangers of fluoride, and spoken out against its use and distribution. Most recently, the Palmer City Council of Alaska passed an ordinance repealing the town’s water fluoridation mandate.

Mainstream dentistry and oral health has been the vehicle through which sodium fluoride, a chemical byproduct of fluorine has been injected into our everyday lives. Said to ‘fight tooth decay’ and ‘strengthen enamel,’ it has been proliferated into nearly every form of toothpaste. Dentists also apply fluoride topically to teeth during routine visits to produce said effects. It has been added to municipal water supplies since the early 1900s, under the same premise of aiding oral health and hygiene.

Despite this, fluoride has a notoriously negative track record in terms of how it is used, and the products that use it as an active ingredient. While being used in toothpaste and various mouth washes, fluoride is also the main ingredient in many rat poisons, Prozac (an anti-depressant found to actually lead to suicide and other health conditions), and is even labeled as a toxic substance.

In fact, the safety precautions regarding sodium fluoride are quite telling themselves:

Click here for the full report from Natural Society.

Tooth Decay Warning Label For Sippy Cups?

July 12, 2011

TIME Healthland

By Bonnie Rochman

Beware the perils of the sippy cup. In New York state, at least, cigarettes and alcohol may not be the only items to warrant warning labels. The legislature wants sippies — those handy-dandy drinking vessels that purport to prevent liquid from spilling out — to feature warnings about childhood tooth decay.

This is the second year that the N.Y. legislature has given the green light for a tooth-decay warning label; it was vetoed last year by former Gov. David Paterson. This time, it heads to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s desk for approval. A spokesman said Friday it’s still under review, so we’ll have to wait and see whether Cuomo will give it the same nod he gave to gay marriage and property-tax caps.

Click here to read the full report from TIME Healthland.

 

HHS Warns That All Infant Formulas Are Contaminated With Toxic Fluoride

March 15th, 2011

Natural News

By: Jonathan Benson

Piggybacking on the recent government announcement concerning overexposure to fluoride, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has now announced that all infant formulas are contaminated with fluoride, and that when mixed with the fluoridated water provided in most US cities, the combination is a toxic threat to babies and infants.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of all US children are overexposed to fluoride. Many of these children are now afflicted with dental fluorosis as a result, which is a tooth disease involving the mottling and staining of enamel. In January, the CDC adjusted the recommended recommended water fluoridation levels from 1.2 milligrams per liter (mg/L) to 0.7 mg/L.

However, a 2009 study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association says that even the adjusted levels are too high, stating that “[m]ost infants from birth to age 12 months who consume predominantly powdered and liquid concentrate formula are likely to exceed the upper tolerable limit [of fluoride] if the formula is reconstituted with optimally fluoridated (0.7 – 1.2 ppm).”

Besides baby formulas and tap water, many other food items are also contaminated with toxic fluoride. Juices, crackers, breads, teas, and fruits often contain high levels of fluoride. And since there is no verifiable way to know precisely how much fluoride children are ingesting from various food and drinks, exposure is far more widespread than most people are aware.

“Exposure to excessive consumption of fluoride over a lifetime may lead to increased likelihood of bone fractures in adults, and may result in effects on bone leading to pain and tenderness,” says the US Environmental Protection Agency on its fluoride information page.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has never properly tested fluoride for safety. It is the only unregulated, unapproved drug that is forcefully injected into the water supplies of millions of people who have no choice in whether or not they are exposed to it. There is no justifiable reason why fluoride is added to water, and there is no “safe” level of it.

Numerous studies have found, however, that fluoride exposure is linked to lowered IQ levels, mental retardation, thyroid dysfunction, bone problems, the calcification of the pineal gland and other organs, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, gastrointestinal problems, kidney disease, respiratory dysfunction, sexual disorders, cancer, and tooth decay

Click here for the full report from Natural News

Diet Soda Linked to Strokes and Vascular Disorders

March 14th, 2011

Natural News

By: Megan Heimer

Recently, every major media outlet reported on the “Northern Manhattan Study” which linked diet soda to strokes and vascular disorders. This study consisted of 2,564 individuals over the age of 40 who were followed for ten years. The results of the study showed that those who drank diet soda daily increased their risk of stroke by 48% and vascular disorders by 61% compared to those who did not drink diet soda. These media reports were also quick to point out that the study was preliminary, largely unsupported and lacked biological evidence; they explained how diet soda could possibly cause strokes, but it was not cause to change nutrition or dietary advice. However, it’s not hard to see how one famous ingredient in diet soda could be to blame.

Aspartame is just one of the many harmful ingredients found in diet soda. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. This sweetener is dangerous because it is not stable in a liquid solution, and it consists of methanol which breaks down into formaldehyde and diketopiperazine – two neurotoxins known to wreak havoc on the nervous system. In addition, isolated aspartic acid and phenylalanine, two other components of aspartame, react with the breakdown of methanol, become toxic, and dangerously increase phenylalanine levels in the brain. The approval of Aspartame by the FDA in 1981 was controversial and highly opposed even by those on the panel because studies showed that aspartame produced seizures and brain tumors in lab animals. In one report, six out of seven monkeys fed aspartame-laced milk for a year developed seizures after every feeding, and the seventh one died.

In 1994, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report which showed that 75% of all adverse reactions reported through the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring System were due to aspartame. Per the FDA, only about 1% of the population reports a problem with something they consume. Thus, in 1994 alone, it is estimated that there were actually one million adverse reactions due to aspartame products with 39% of the complaints coming from diet soda. Prior to 1994, the Center for Disease Control reviewed many aspartame complaints consisting of neurological, gastrointestinal, and allergic reactions.

In addition, the 1994 “Official FDA Document” listed 92 symptoms associated with aspartame consumption, including 290 people who reported seizures and convulsions after consuming a product containing aspartame. Because this number is estimated to reflect only 1% of the actual number, the true number of seizures in 1994 could have been as high as 28,710. Today, adverse effects continue to rise as people increase their consumption of diet soda.

A vast amount of scholarly research has been conducted since the 1980′s linking aspartame in diet soda to various conditions including: aspartame poisoning, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, birth defects, tooth decay, dehydration, obesity, seizures, strokes, cardiovascular disease, eczema, sleeping problems, hair loss, muscle tremors, heart palpitations, memory loss, high blood pressure (another leading cause of stroke), chronic fatigue, menstrual problems, loss of libido, and joint pain.

These questions remain: Why are the studies, physician and consumer complaints, and research regarding the toxicity of this diet soda ingredient being overlooked, covered up, and brushed aside? Could it be because the truth about aspartame could discourage consumers from drinking diet soda, resulting in billion dollar losses? Or, could it be that aspartame research is funded largely by those with a stake in this money-making industry? Regardless of the answers, there is 30 years of extensive research linking aspartame to strokes and vascular disorders. Is diet soda worth the risks?

Click here for the full report from Natural News

Feds Say Too Much Fluoride in Drinking Water

January 7th, 2011

AOL News

By: Mike Stobbe

Fluoride in drinking water – credited with dramatically cutting cavities and tooth decay – may now be too much of a good thing. It’s causing spots on some kids’ teeth.

A reported increase in the spotting problem is one reason the federal government will announce Friday it plans to lower the recommended limit for fluoride in water supplies – the first such change in nearly 50 years.

About 2 out of 5 adolescents have tooth streaking or spottiness because of too much fluoride, a surprising government study found recently. In some extreme cases, teeth can even be pitted by the mineral – though many cases are so mild only dentists notice it.

Health officials note that most communities have fluoride in their water supplies, and toothpaste has it too. Some kids are even given fluoride supplements.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is announcing a proposal to change the recommended fluoride level to 0.7 milligrams per liter of water. And the Environmental Protection Agency will review whether the maximum cutoff of 4 milligrams per liter is too high.

The standard since 1962 has been a range of 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the splotchy tooth condition, fluorosis, is unexpectedly common in kids ages 12 through 15. And it appears to have grown much more common since the 1980s.

“One of the things that we’re most concerned about is exactly that,” said an administration official who was not authorized to speak publicly before the release of the report. The official described the government’s plans in an interview with The Associated Press.

The government also is expected to release two related EPA studies which look at the ways Americans are exposed to fluoride and the potential health effects. This shift away from government’s long-standing praise of the benefits of fluoride is sure to re-energize groups that still oppose it.

Fluoride is a mineral that exists naturally in water and soil. Scientists in the early 1940s discovered that people who lived where water supplies naturally had more fluoride also had fewer cavities. Some locales have naturally occurring fluoridation levels above 1.2.

Click here for the full report from AOL News

Hormone Gel Could Regrow Teeth Cavities

July 28, 2010

Mail Online

By: Pat Hagan

A gel that can help decayed teeth grow back in just weeks may mean an end to fillings.

The gel, which is being developed by scientists in France, works by prompting cells in teeth to start multiplying. They then form healthy new tooth tissue that gradually replaces what has been lost to decay.

Researchers say in lab studies it took just four weeks to restore teeth back to their original healthy state. The gel contains melanocyte-stimulating hormone, or MSH.

We produce this in the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland just behind the bridge of the nose.

MSH is already known to play an important part in determining skin colour – the more you have, the darker your flesh tone.

But recent studies suggest MSH may also play a crucial role in stimulating bone regeneration.

As bone and teeth are very similar in their structure, a team of scientists at the National Institute for Health and Medical Research in Paris tested if the hormone could stimulate tooth growth.

Their findings, published in the American Chemical Society journal ACS Nano, could signal hurtnot just an end to fillings, but the dreaded dentist drill as well. Tooth decay is a major public health problem in Britain. Around £45m a year is spent treating decayed teeth and by the age of 15, teenagers have had an average of 2.5 teeth filled or removed.

Decay is caused by bacteria, called streptococcus mutans, that live in the mouth and feed on sugar in the diet. Once the bacteria stick to the enamel, they trigger a process called demineralisation – they turn sugar in the diet into a harmful acid that starts to create holes in the teeth.

For decades, the main treatment for cavities has been to ‘drill and fill’. However, an estimated one in five Britons suffers from dental phobia, a fear of dentists which means some would rather endure pain and suffering than face the prospect of having their teeth drilled.

The new treatment is painless. And although fillings halt decay, they can come loose and sometimes need refilling.

Experts believe new tooth cells would be stronger and a permanent solution.

The French team mixed MSH with a chemical called poly-L-glutamic acid. This is a substance often used to transport drugs inside the body because it can survive the harsh environments, such as the stomach, that might destroy medicines before they get a chance to work.

The mixture was then turned into a gel and rubbed on to cells, called dental pulp fibroblasts, taken from extracted human teeth. These cells are the kind that help new tooth tissue to grow.

But until now there has been no way of ‘switching’ them back on once they have been destroyed by dental decay. The researchers found the gel triggered the growth of new cells and also helped with adhesion – the process by which new dental cells ‘lock’ together.

This is important because it produces strong tooth pulp and enamel which could make the decayed tooth as good as new.

In a separate experiment, the French scientists applied the gel to the teeth of mice with dental cavities. In just one month, the cavities had disappeared. The gel is still undergoing testing but could be available for use within three to five years.

Professor Damien Walmsley, the British Dental Association’s scientific adviser, said the gel could be an interesting new development, but stressed it is unlikely to be able to repair teeth that have been extensively damaged by decay.

‘There are a lot of exciting developments in this field, of which this is one,’ he said. ‘It looks promising, but we will have to wait for the results to come back from clinical trials and its use will be restricted to treating small areas of dental decay.’

click here to read full article

Coca-Cola Claims It Doesn’t Rot Teeth

July 28, 2009

Natural News

by David Gutierrez

The Coca-Cola Company’s South Pacific division has been ordered to print a retraction of a full-page print ad claiming that Coca-Cola did not rot teeth or “[make] you fat.”

“Coke’s messages were totally unacceptable, creating an impression which is likely to mislead that Coca-Cola cannot contribute to weight gain, obesity and tooth decay,” said Graeme Samuel, chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). “They also had the potential to mislead parents about the potential consequences of consuming Coca-Cola.”

In 2008, Coca-Cola South Pacific ran a full-page ad in a number of newspapers claiming to debunk a number of “myths” about Coke products. Kelly Armstrong, a popular Australian actress, was portrayed as the narrator in the ad, titled “Motherhood & Myth-Busting.”

“Now that I’ve found out what’s myth and what isn’t, it’s good to know that our family can continue to enjoy one of our favorite drinks,” Armstrong said in the ad. “My boys now call me Mum, the Myth Buster!”

Claiming that Coke was perfectly “kiddie safe,” the ad said it was time “to state the facts and to help you understand the truth behind Coca-Cola.”

The ad identified the following popular perceptions of Coke as “myths”: “It’s full of added preservatives and artificial colors”; “Makes you fat”; “It was originally green”; “‘Coca-Cola contained cocaine once upon a time”; “Packed with caffeine”; “Rots your teeth.”

Following a joint complaint by the Australian Dental Association, the Obesity Policy Coalition and the Parents Jury, the ACCC launched an investigation into the ad, eventually concluding that it constituted false and misleading advertising. As a result, Coke has been ordered to run a corrective ad in major newspapers of every major Australian city. Among other corrections, the company must include accurate numbers for the amount of caffeine included in Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero.

In the initial ad, Coke falsely claimed that those soft drinks contained only one-third the caffeine of a cup of tea.

Click here for the full story and links from NaturalNews.com