Peer-reviewed science column: Fluoridation: It’s neither safe nor effective.
Scroll down and click to see how fluoridated tap water affects your body, your health and your life. (Also review the government/industry’s “dismissal” of overwhelming peer-reviewed science.)
Alaska’s history of fluoridation accidents:
- New England Journal of Medicine: Fluoridation accident killed and maimed residents of Hooper Bay, Alaska – see local coverage of Alaska’s fluoridation accidents
Fluoridation is not effective:
- Community Dentristry & Oral Epidemiology: Fluoride incorporated into dental minerals by systemic ingestion is insufficient to play a significant role in caries prevention
- American Chemical Society Journal of Surfaces and Colloids (Langmuir): Fluorapatite “protective” surface on tooth enamel resulting from fluoridation is 6 nanometers thick – probably too thin to protect teeth
- American Dental Association: Minimal improvement in Native dental health after decades of water fluoridation.
- Caries Research: Caries rates constant after halting fluoridation (Finland). See World Health Organization data which undermines efficacy of fluoridation
- Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology: Caries improve after halting fluoridation (Canada)
- Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology: Caries improve after halting fluoridation (Germany)
- Journal of Dental Research: 11 month fluoridation halt has no effect on caries, but reduces fluorosis (Durham, NC)
- Caries Research: Caries decline after halting fluoridation (Cuba)
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Caries occur at equivalent rates in children with and without dental fluorosis
- New Zealand Dental Journal: Caries decline in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas after halting fluoridation
- Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health: Carries prevention occurs on tooth surfaces before swallowing fluoridated water
- Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health: Child caries rate does not correlate with fluoridation of drinking water
- Fluoride: Caries rates don’t vary in fluoridated, non-fluoridated, and partially-fluoridated areas of the US.
- Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology: Effectiveness of water fluoridation is declining
- Caries Research: Systemic versus Topical Fluoride
- Biostatistics: No convincing effect of fluoride-intake on caries development
- Journal of Public Health Dentistry: Declining difference in caries rates for fluoridated vs nonfluoridated areas
- Journal of Dental Research: Anticaries effects of fluoride are almost exclusively topical. Potential systemic effects on dental caries are less clear, and are being researched. (Pg 4)
- Journal of Dental Research: Primary anti-caries benefit of fluoride is from topical action
- Centers for Disease Control: Fluoride prevents tooth decay primarily through topical application
- Caries Research: Prenatal fluoride has negligable effect on preventing caries
- News Story: Canadian provinces have caries rates unaffected by fluoridation
Fluoride elevates risk of degenerative eye disease
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Fluoride exposure contributes to cataract, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma.
Fluoridation risks for dialysis patients
- National Kidney Foundation: Prior fluoridation endorsement withdrawn
- American Journal of Kindey Diseases: Fluoridation can expose dialysis patients to increased fluoride (see news article)
- Annals of Internal Medicine: Risks for dialysis clinics from fluoridated water supply
- Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: Patients with chronic renal insufficiency have increased risk from fluoride toxicity
- Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: kidney patients have decreased ability to excrete fluoride
Kidney patients and fluoride retention
- National Kidney Foundation: With limited available data for an NKF position on fluoridation, CKD patients should review Kidney Health Australia’s position paper.
- Kidney Health Australia: Stage 4 and 5 kidney patients should monitor fluoride intake and avoid fluoride-rich substances. Scientific studies need to continue.
- Science of the Total Environment: Patients with chronic kidney disease need to control fluoride intake to prevent fluorosis
- Journal of the American Medical Association: Increased fluoridated water intake, and reduced fluoride excretion due to kidney disease causes fluorosis
- Urological Research: Fluoride may be a mild promoter of urinary stone formation
- Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry: Definite role of fluoride in urinary stone formation.
- Journal of Nutrition: Fluoride ingestion in rats correlates with crystalluria and bladder stones
- Caries Research: Autopsies correlate elevated bone fluoride levels with diseased kidneys
- Pediatrics: Renal function impairment increases fluoride retention in young children
- Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: Impaired kidney function increases fluoride retention in the body
- Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: High serum fluoride in CRF patients risks renal osteodystrophy
- Environmental Research: 2 ppm water fluoridation damages liver and kidney functions in children
- Archives of Internal Medicine: Chronic renal failure increases fluoride retention
Fluoride linked to cancer:
- Fluoride is being evaluated as a listed carcinogenby the State of California
- Environmental Health Perspectives: Humans 10 times more sensitive than rodents to genotoxic substances
- Laryngo-rhino-otologie: (German Ear Nose Throat Journal): Genotoxic, cytotoxic effects, mucous membranes and white blood cells
- NTP Technical Report Series: Fluoride-exposed male rats and osteosarcoma.
- Chemical and Engineering News: NTP report down-played osteosarcoma-fluoridation link
- Cancer Causes and Control: Age-specific Fluoride Exposure in Drinking Water and Osteosarcoma
- New Jersey Department of Health: Osteosarcoma more prevalent among young males in fluoridated areas.
- Biological Trace Element Research: Links fluoride exposure to osteosarcoma
- Journal of Epidemiology: The likelihood of fluoride acting as a genetic cause of cancer requires consideration
- Journal of Epidemiology: Fluoride concentration in drinking water correlates with uterine cancer mortality
- World Journal of Gastroenterology: Excess fluoride can induce oxidative stress and DNA damage
- Journal of the National Cancer Institute: Cancer Incidence in Fluoride-Exposed Workers (2004)
- Journal of the National Cancer Institute: Cancer incidence and mortality in workers exposed to fluoride (1992)
- American Journal of Vetrinary Research: Elevated fluoride content in malignant bone tumors of horses
- Related Journalism: Fluoridation advocate under federal investigation for suppressing fluoride/cancer link
- Long-Term Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies and Toxicity Study, Sodium Fluoride
Fluoride and heart disease:
- Science of the Total Environment: Chronic fluorosis patients have left ventricular diastolic and global dysfunctions
- Biological Trace Element Research: Aortic elasticity impaired in patients with endemic fluorosis
- Biological Trace Element Research: Chronic fluoride exposure has an important role in pathogenesis of coronary artery ectasia
- Fluoride: Myocardial damage in patients suffering from endemic skeletal fluorosis
Fluoride effects on the thyroid:
Fluoride-atrophied rat thyroid tissue
- British Journal of Medicine: Skeletal fluorosis patients have secondary hyperparathyroidism
- Clinical Science: Sodium fluoride treatment acutely stimulates bio-parathyroid activity
- Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental: Patients with skeletal fluorosis have elevated parathyroid hormone
- Journal of Dental Research: Fluoride toxicosis causes rat thyroid gland to mildly atrophy
- Bone and Mineral: Skeletal fluorosis patients show evidence of acquired pseudohypoparathyroidism
- European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Goitre increases with water fluoride concentration
- The Lancet: Goitre correlates with water fluoride content
- The Lancet: Goitre distribution correlates with fluoride water content and areas of dental fluorosis
- Toxicology and Industrial Health: Excess fluoride induces thyroid dysfunction in rats
- Gigiena truda i professional’nye zabolevaniia(Russia): Pituitary-thyroid changes in fluoride workers
- Fluoride poisoning symptoms are similar to hypothyroidism – i.e., profound metabolic dysfunction
- PHD Thesis: Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland (links to 33 mb file)
- Problemy Endokrinology (Russia): Excess fluoride elevates risk of thyroid dysfunction
- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology: Fluoride inhibits iodide-concentrating mechanism of the thyroid
- Problemy Endokrinology (Russia): Thyroid pathology increases with increasing fluoride concentration
- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism: Calcium deficiency and hyperparathyroidism correlate with fluoride treated osteoporotic patients
- Fluoride Journal: Reduced thyroid function in mice exposed to fluoride
- Indian Pediatrics: Fluoride ingestion correlates with hyperparathyroidism
Fluoride-related health problems disproportionately affect Africans
- Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology: African-American children at increased risk of mild to severe dental fluorosis from drinking fluoridated water
- American Public Health Association: Preterm births unusually high among African Americans in fluoridated areas
- Centers for Disease Control: Prevalence of fluorosis rising among all children, blacks had higher fluorosis rates than whites
- Journal of Dental Research: African-American children in the fluoridated area had the highest percentage of dental fluorosis
- Journal of Dental Research: Fluorosis is very prevalent in Kenya, even in low-fluoride areas (> 1 ppm F)
- Caries Research: Fluorosis levels very high (71% to 94%) for Kenya school children who drink water with low fluoride content
- American Journal of Public Health: African Americans have a higher prevalence of mottled teeth due to fluorosis
- American Journal of Public Health: The increase in dental fluorisis was relatively higher among African Americans
- Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology: Tanzanians in areas with low fluoride concentrations have severe dental fluorosis
Fluoride, insulin, and diabetes:
- National Research Council: Fluoride exposure can increase blood glucose, impair glucose tolerance, and increase the severity of some types of diabetes – Development of diabetes and glucose intolerance remains a major area for further investigation
- Diabetologia (India): Chronic fluoride toxicity in humans could impair glucose tolerance
- Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology: Elevation of serum glucose in fluoride-treated rats
- Calcified Tissue International: Insulin drops and glycemia increases in humans and in rats after fasting, and ingesting sodium fluoride
- Biochemical Journal: Fluoride inhibits insulin receptors of rat muscle and human placenta cells
- Bone and mineral: Disturbed glucose tolerance in rats exposed to fluoride
- Drug Research (Germany): Fluoride inhibits insulin secretion in rats
- Drug Research (Germany): Abnormal glucose tolerance tests in rats administered sodium fluoride
- Medicina (Argentina): Fluoride inhibits insulin secretion
Fluoride effects on reproductive health:
- National Research Council: Current science insufficient to evaluate fluoridation as a risk factor for Downs Syndrome. See links below to review science on both sides:
- Bulletin of the National Academy of Medicine(France): Fluoridation correlates with Down’s Syndrome. Link Confirmed, Link confirmed, Inconclusive, No link, No link.
- American Public Health Association: Water fluoridation correlates with preterm births
- Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health: Fertility rate declines as fluoride levels in water increase
- Journal of Clinical Toxicology: Reduced testosterone in skeletal fluorosis patients, and other males drinking the same water
- Environmental Research: Fluoride disrupts male reproductive hormones
- Fluoride Research: Fluoride’s toxic effects on the male reproductive system
- Reproductive Toxicology: Transient but reversible effects of fluoride on the reproductive organs of male mice
- Biometals: Concentration of fluoride correlates with decreased sperm count, motility, viability and function, but increased sperm abnormalities – in rats
- Archives of Oral Biology: Consuming over 1.25 mg F/day greatly increases fluoride in amniotic fluid
- Biology of the Neonate: Umbilical cord plasma fluoride concentration correlates with maternal fluoride intake
- Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry (India): The placenta allows fluoride transfer from mother to fetus
Bone fractures increase in fluoridated areas:
- Journal of the American Medical Association: Elderly suffer increased hip fractures in fluoridated areas (2.1 mb file)
- Journal of the American Medical Association: Women over 65 suffer increased hip fractures in fluoridated areas
- Osteoporosis International: Ecologic study of 216 counties found hip fracture rates correlate with fluoride level in the water
- Annals of Epidemiology: Statistically significant positive association between fracture rates and fluoridation
- Annals of Epidemiology: Men in fluoridated areas have higher fracture rates for distal forearm and proximal humerus
- Journal of the American Medical Association: Hip fractures increase with fluoridation above 0.11 mg/L
- American Journal of Epidemiology: Fluoride increased risk of hip fractures in women 50 to 64 years old
- American Journal of Epidemiology: Bone mineral content suffers and fractures increase for older women in fluoridated communities
- Journal of the American Medical Association: Re-evaluation of data from an earlier study reveals correlation between fluoridation and hip fracture
- American Journal of Public Health: Hip fracture hospitalization rates correlate with fluoride levels in the water
- Epidemiology: Higher risk of hip fractures for subjects in areas fluoridated above 0.11 mg per liter
Fluoride sources (besides water) also increase bone fracture rates:
- Presse Medicale (France): Spontaneous bone fractures caused by fluoride treatment of osteoperosis patients
- American Journal of Medicine: Microfractures caused by fluoride treatment cause acute pain in osteoperosis patients
- New England Journal of Medicine: Fluoride increases bone fractures in post-menapausal women with osteoporosis
- British Medical Journal: Fluoride treatment of elderly patients increases bone fracture rate
- Bone: Marked increase in bone fractures for patients recieving fluoride treatment
- Journal of Bone and Mineral Research: Increased hip fracture in osteoporotic women treated with sodium fluoride
- Journal of Bone and Mineral Research: Stress fractures occur in the lower limbs of osteoporotic patients treated with fluoride
- Journal of Bone and Mineral Research: Bone mass increase due to fluoride does not correlate with fewer fractures
- Journal of Bone and Mineral Research: Bone density increases from fluoride treatment don’t improve bone biomechanical properties
- Epidemiology: Fluoride content of toenail correlates with forearm fractures
- Journal of Dental Research: Femoral failure load decreased 23% in rats ingesting water with 50 PPM fluoride
- Calcified Tissue International: Bone strength decreased in rabbits consuming water with 50 PPM fluoride
Other affects on bones, joints, and connctive tissues:
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine: Difficult to distinguish arthritic changes from fluoride effects on bone
- Toxicology Letters: Fluoride interferes with maturation and metabolism of collagen, especially in bones
- Skeletal Radiology: Bone fluoride levels correlate with increased ossification of ligament, tendon, and muscle attachments
- Food and Chemical Toxicology: Functional disabilities resulting from osteosclerosis-type skeletal fluorosis, arthropathy and arthritis
- Calcified Tissue International: Patients with skeletal flurosis all had skeletal pains, rigidity and restricted movements of the spine and other joints
- The Veterinary Record: Statistical correlation between bone fluoride and arthritic debility in cattle
- Rheumatology International: Endemic fluorosis correlates with more severe osteoarthritis in the knees
- American Journal of Roentgenology: Skeletal fluorosis occurs with bone, joint, and connective tissue problems
Immune system impacts:
- National Research Council: No studies evalute immunocompromised patients who drink 1 to 4 mg/l fluoridated water
- National Research Council: Fluoride’s immunologic effects may impact AIDS, transplant, and bone marrow patients.
- Agents and Actions: Sodium fluoride with calcium evokes histamine release from mast cells
- Agents and Actions: Sodium fluoride-induced histamine release from mouse mast cells occurs with or without calcium
- International Archives of Allergy: Fluoridated water correlates with allergies – case studies
- Allergy: Eggs accidentally served with sodium fluoride (instead of salt) caused a massive outbreak of hives
- Annals of Allergy: Fluoridated products and allergic reactions – case studies
- Fluoride Reseach: Hexafluorosilicate impacts on leukemic cells
- Journal of Dental Research: Fluoride inhibits white blood cells
- Caries Research: Fluoride ions affect antigen response and immune system
- Complementary Medical Research: Fluoride inhibits leucocytes, depressing immune system (full text PDF)
- Environmental Research: Sodium fluoride inhibits antibody formation in rabbits
- Journal of Immunology: Sodium fluoride simulates antigen-induced events
- Blood Journal: Fluoride inhibits white blood cells challenged by foreign agents in blood
- Immunology Letters: Increased immune response to antigens from fluoride
- Medical Hypotheses: Evidence fluoride harms developing immune system cells
- Fluoride: Fluoridated water correlates with allergic reactions – case studies
Neurotoxic effects of fluoride:
- NeuroResearch: Neurotoxins damage the brain, causing chronic disease
- Neurotoxicology and Teratology: Links sodium fluoride to neurotoxicity in rats. Watch: Study revived long after its initial cancellation. Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
- Neurotoxicology: Fluoridation elevates the lead concentration in children’s blood by 50%
- Environmental Health Perspectives: Lower IQ of children in areas with high fluoride and/or arsenic in water
- Neurotoxicology and Teratology: Chronic fluorosis related to brain dysfunction in rats.
- Brain Research: Negative effects on cerebrovascular and neuronal integrity observed in rats dosed with fluoride
- Internt’l Clinical Psychopharmocology: Blood/brain barrier to fluoride not impermeable, PDF groundbreaking study
- Chinese Journal of Pathology: Chronic fluorosis and developing fetal brains
- Drug and Chemical Toxicology: Aluminum increases neurotoxic hazards caused by fluoride
- Epidemiology: Urinary fluoride levels correlate with slower reaction time and reduced visuospatial abilities in children
- Toxicology: Fluoride caused dysfunction of PC12 cells and the central nervous system
- Indian Journal of Experimental Biology: Fluoride causes neurodegeneration and poor motor coordination in female mice.
- Chinese Journal of Pathology: Mild nerve degeneration in rat brains exposed to fluoridated water
- Neurotoxicology and Teratology: Temporary neurotoxic effects in rats breathing widely used fumigant sulfuryl fluoride
- Neurotoxicology & Teratology: Chronic fluorosis effects on membrane lipids in rat brains
- Journal of Biological Chemistry: Prion diseases aggravated by salts including sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, etc.
- Fluoride: Sodium fluoride injected in rabbits results in tremors, seizures, and paralysis
- Chinese Journal of Hygiene Research: Learning ability of mice deteriorates with fluoride in water
- Chinese Journal of Endemiology: Neurotransmitter and receptor changes in the brains of fetuses from areas of endemic fluorosis
- Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine: Sodium fluoride associated wiht DNA damage and apoptosis in rat brains
- Chinese Journal of Hygiene Research: Selenium may increase the neurotoxicity of fluoride on behavior and morphology
- Chinese Journal of Endemiology: Mice exposed to fluoride have reduced learning and memory capabilities
- Iodine Deficiency Disorder Newsletter (China): Mental retardation correlates with high fluoride/low iodine
Fluoridation elevates lead levels in blood and bone:
- Neurotoxicology: Fluoridation elevates the lead concentration in children’s blood by 50%
- Toxicology: Fluoride increases lead levels in blood and calcified tissues of rats
- Neurotoxicology: Lead leaches from plumbing fixtures when exposed to fluoridation chemicals
- Neurotoxicology: Consistent and significant correlation between fluoridated water consumption and lead level in blood
- International Journal of Environmental Studies: Fluoridation correlates with the lead level in children’s blood, and children with lead blood levels exceeding 10 ug/dL.
- Science of the Total Environment: Correlation between lead and fluoride concentrations in bone
- Fluoride: Naturally occuring fluoride in water (CaF2) doesn’t increase lead concentrations in blood
- News Report: Fluoride Chemicals Leach Lead Into Water Supplies
Other peer-reviewed studies:
- PhD Thesis: Salmon growth rate increases when the fluoride-rich krill shells are removed from pen-raised salmon feed
- Food and Chemical Toxicology: Fluoride content of tea, near EPA limit, results in fluorosis.
- Caries Research: Fluoride accumulates in the aged human pineal gland
- Toxicology: Fluoride increases lead concentrations in the blood and bones of rats exposed to lead
- Probl Endokrinol: Excess fluoride in drinking water accelerates thyroid pathology
- Journal of Nutrition: Dietary fat increases fluoride retention in rats
- International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health: Fluoridation: A Violation of Medical Ethics and Human Rights
- New Evidence on Fluoride & the Developing Brain, article based on six peer-reviewed studies
- Fluoride: Effect of a high fluoride water supply on children’s intelligence
- The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health: New Evidence on Fluoridation
- Fluoride: Fluoride poisoning of horses from artificially fluoridated drinking water
- North American Journal of Fisheries Management: Evidence for fluoride effects on salmon passage at John Day Dam, Columbia River
