Did you know that poison control receives over 10,000 calls per year related to toothpaste ingestion in children? In 2016, it was over 17,000 calls[i]. Did you know that most toothpaste brands contain a warning that says “Not Intended for Children”? This is for good reason. The reason is fluoride: a highly controversial topic due to the fluoridation of the majority of US water supplies. Fluoride used in city water supplies is a byproduct of industrial practices (i.e., industrial waste). Fluoride is a known carcinogen and neurotoxin but like many public policies or standards of practice that include toxic materials, it’s argued that it’s the dose that makes the poison. While this post is not intended to review the water fluoridation debate in it’s entirety, it is important to know that fluoride (even in small doses over time) is not without health risks and it accumulates in the body over time. As a reminder from our previous post on toxins, chemicals are deemed safe in small doses after being tested in isolation for short durations of time. Synergistic effects, compounded, long-term effects, and even effects on developing children are often not factors in the decision making process. In 2014 a study was published in The Lancet that lists fluoride as a neurotoxin and links it to neurodevelopmental disorders in children. The study authors state, “The developing human brain is uniquely vulnerable to toxic chemical exposures, and major windows of developmental vulnerability occur in utero and during infancy and early childhood. Critical periods of vulnerability for the developing nervous system: evidence from humans and animal models. During these sensitive life stages, chemicals can cause permanent brain injury at low levels of exposure that would have little or no adverse effect in an adult.” A published meta-analysis study was performed by Harvard researchers who looked at 27 studies spanning over 22 years and found strong indications that fluoride adversely effects children’s cognitive development. The study’s authors urge that these risks should not be ignored and that human studies should be conducted in the US ( where virtually none exist today – not surprisingly). The Fluoride Action Network (FAN) found 52 studies that link fluoride with lowered IQ and this doesn’t even come close to all of the dirt on fluoride.
Many developed countries around the world ban the practice of water fluoridation. Are we simply smarter than them? Our health report card would indicate not. Additionally, The World Health Organization (WHO) did not find any difference in the amount of tooth decay in countries who fluoridated versus countries that did not fluoridate their water (graph/source link below). Even as science progresses and suggests that these policies be revisited, it’s often fought with vehemence, buried, or denounced due to the implications (loss of public trust or sources of revenue) from having to change a once widely accepted practice. Authority that cannot admit mistakes is dangerous and does not value public health or science.
Fluoride is found in over 95% of toothpastes and is used to prevent tooth decay. Fluoride comes in different compounds[ii]: sodium fluoride (NaF), acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF), stannous fluoride (SnF2), and sodium monofluorophsphate (Na2PO3F). The most common found in toothpaste is NaF.
The EPA has set the maximum contaminant level of fluoride at 4 ppm or 4 mg/L. The EPA also has a secondary non-enforceable standard of 2 ppm or 2mg/L. This is the level required to protect children from tooth discoloration and/or pitting that can occur by chronic exposure to fluoride levels above 2 ppm or 2 mg/L in infants prior to eruption of teeth[iii]. By non-enforceable, this means the water supply, although most certainly being used in infants, does not have to adhere to the 2 ppm minimum and can use levels of fluoride up the maximum 4 ppm. As a parent, you need to be aware of your city’s drinking water standards if you’re not filtering your water. There’s a documentary out, among many, that makes a strong case against fluoride. It’s called Flouridegate. As with any controversial topic, listen with an open mind and then do some fact checking for yourself.
The average tube of toothpaste contains 1,000-1,500 ppm of fluoride. Children’s toothpaste often contains around 600 ppm. I’d like to point out that sublingual administration of drugs is highly effective because it allows for quick absorption into the bloodstream. Holding things in your mouth, such as toothpaste, will have the same effect. Anything you’re not supposed to swallow, should not be in your mouth. Not only are the odds of a child swallowing the paste high (because it tastes yummy!), it’s also being absorbed into the bloodstream at rapid speeds. The bottom line: avoid fluoride in toothpastes by buying natural, non-fluoridated toothpastes. In my family, we use Dr. Bronner’s toothpaste and The Dirt tooth powder. I also urge you to filter your water, which, has additional benefits like getting rid of lead that may originate from pipes, getting rid of chlorine, pharmaceutical residues, heavy metal traces, etc. There are alternative measures you can take to prevent tooth decay in your family without the use of fluoride. For more information on how to prevent tooth decay without fluoride, visit this webpage by Dr. Axe.
[i] https://aapcc.s3.amazonaws.com/pdfs/annual_reports/12_21_2017_2016_Annua.pdf
[ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1068684
[iii] https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/2011_fluoride_questionsanswers.pdf
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