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Health officials delayed report linking fluoride to brain harm

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Re: Health officials delayed report linking fluoride to brain harm

#21
post #18
post #11

So we know that there is definitely little benefit from ingesting fluoride, and also that we can not rule out negative effects from ingesting fluoride. This seems like... a bit of a big deal?

I think The Netherlands took it out of their potable/tap water some while ago (like in the '70s).

Because they added it to salt and toothpaste instead.

Re: Health officials delayed report linking fluoride to brain harm

#22

It's worth thinking about the fact that virtually the entire EU gets by with non fluoridated water.

It's in other products instead. I think it depends on the country, but usually salt and toothpaste. I don't think there are any developed countries that have stopped fluoridation entirely.

Re: Health officials delayed report linking fluoride to brain harm

#25
post #3

It's worth thinking about the fact that virtually the entire EU gets by with non fluoridated water.

[flagged]

There is a paper linked on Wikipedia stating that studies conducted in Germany showed that "Water fluoridation was followed by a decrease of caries, and interruptions in fluoridation were followed by increasing caries levels." but also "There was a significant caries decrease down to the lowest DMFT (2.0) since 1959 in spite of the fact that only F-poor water was available over years [...] explained by changes in caries-preventive and environmental conditions."

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1034/j.1600-0528....

Re: Health officials delayed report linking fluoride to brain harm

#26
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think The Netherlands took it out of their potable/tap water some while ago (like in the '70s).

Because they added it to salt and toothpaste instead.

Fluoride in salt? I know they put iodine in table salt, but not fluoride.

Re: Health officials delayed report linking fluoride to brain harm

#27

It's worth thinking about the fact that virtually the entire EU gets by with non fluoridated water.

It's in other products instead. I think it depends on the country, but usually salt and toothpaste. I don't think there are any developed countries that have stopped fluoridation entirely.

It’s in toothpaste but you don’t eat that. I have never heard of it being in salt. Maybe you think of iodine?

Re: Health officials delayed report linking fluoride to brain harm

#28
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a European people here often make comments about American teeth being ridiculously white and unnaturally straight. You guys went a bit far on that one.

Unnaturally straight? What is natural to you? My teeth are perfectly straight and so is my entire family’s and none of us has ever had braces. Is that not natural? Corrected vision is unnatural. Did we go a bit far on that too? Europeans’ teeth would be white too if they smoked less.

> Europeans’ teeth would be white too if they smoked less.

err, maybe if they also didn't drink so much coffee and/or tea

Let's not ignore the fact that Americans have largely embraced teeth whitening as a norm.

Re: Health officials delayed report linking fluoride to brain harm

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they added it to salt and toothpaste instead.

Fluoride in salt? I know they put iodine in table salt, but not fluoride.

In Germany you can definitely buy table salt with Fluoride in a supermarket.

Re: Health officials delayed report linking fluoride to brain harm

#30
post #24

As a biochemist, this seems to be a very complex issue that has been unnecessarily politicized. What happened with this report is interesting in and of itself, but I would not draw any conclusions (or make any inferences) from this, frankly.

As someone who comes from an area with clean fresh water, that does not contain added fluoride, this is not a complex issue. It's simply not a question that comes up. People have good dental hygiene here.

To my mind, yes sure you can over complicate the entire debate, but all of that is irrelevant in the face of these basic points:

- Is there a chance that fluoride ingestion could be detrimental to human health? - Can tooth decay be prevented by diet and brush/floss with good quality toothpaste?

Presumed safety of chemicals (at the behest of organizations) to human/environment until proven otherwise is shocking to me.

They irony of all this is that if you want to buy good quality toothpaste you are forced to import it from overseas, due to the FDA limiting ingredients in toothpaste.

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