# Controversies in Science/Water fluoridation

(from Controversies in Science)

## Points For
### Science of Fluoridation

Adding fluoride to water helps government and individual spending in the long run by reducing the amount of money spent in dental bills and dental care as well as maintaining healthy teeth.

### Bone Density

Studies conducted in the 1960's suggest that fluoride increases bone density and minimizes fractures, thus it was used in human clinical trials in the hopes of preventing osteoporosis. Although trials have confirmed that fluoride does increase bone density it can also decrease bone density of the cortical bone.

### Socio-economic status and tooth decay

This article measures the dental health of socially deprived children in Scotland. Water fluoridation is suggested to reduce tooth decay..

### 25% drop in cavities

When taking fluoride drops use by children both in fluoride treated and non-treated areas, there was a 25% drop in cavities in fluoride treated areas.
Children living in areas with fluoridated water had a mean DMFS of approximately 18% lower than those children living in areas with no water fluoridation.

### Fluoridated water is better for your teeth.

Fluoride has been shown to improve the re-mineralization of the tooth.

### Water fluoridation prevents dental caries

When fluoridation was stopped in 14 out of 22 analyses, dental caries increased..

### After a 10 year span (1993-2003) children were 74% less likely to be subjected to dental decay.

Children, ages 5-8, experienced a decrease of dental issues. The amount of cases decreased from 56-27 due to the water fluoridation of the Blue Mountain area and is expected to continue to decrease.

### Fluoride withdrawal effects

Based on 22 analyses, 14 of which showed an increase in caries in areas where fluoridation was stopped, the authors concluded that caries prevalence increases following withdrawal of water fluoridation.

### Decreases dental caries in low socioeconomic children.

5 year old children living in poor areas with fluoridated water are less likely to have dental caries than children who live in poor areas without fluoridated water. Water fluoridation in poor areas reduces inequalities in dental health between poor and affluent 5 year old children.

### Water fluoridation reduces tooth decay.

When children in the age group of 5 to 11 are given fluoride in their water, they have 41% less tooth decay.

### Helps baby teeth the most

Water fluoridation reduces cavities in baby teeth 30-60%. It reduces cavities later on, but to a lesser extent.

### No increase in hip fractures

There is a false belief that fluroide in water makes bones brittle and increases hip fractures..

### Helps promote strong bones

Fluoride helps stimulate bone sell proliferation which increases mineral deposition in the bones. The correct amount of fluoride in water can help promote the growth of strong and healthy bones.

## Points Against
### Fluoride Causes Abnormal Bone Growth

Ingesting fluoride has been shown to cause serious effects on bones in the human body by creating abnormal growths. The make up of bones is also compromised as your body is more ingesting fluoride for a longer amount of time. After ingesting fluoride for long periods, lesions start to present themselves on your bones; these lesions can be looked at as weaker or stronger parts of bone that allow the bone to grow in areas that are not formally known to grow; this creates abnormal growths. “The stages of bone lesions have been characterized by different names, including but not limited to; osteosclerosis, and osteomalacia (NA 2007).”

### Health Risks

Teeth staining and corrosion. Altering enzymes, necessary for essential processes. Increase in arthritis and osteoporosis; On july 9, 1998 a news reported fluoride poisoned water in Central India, causing severe arthritic damage to millions of individuals.

### Fluoridation of drinking water may cause skeletal degradation

Studies in India have shown a positive correlation between skeletal fluorosis and drinking water fluoride levels as low as 1.35 ppm

### We Already Have Fewer Cavities

Several studies conducted in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities suggested that this method of delivering fluoride may be unnecessary for caries prevention, particularly in the industrialized countries where the caries level has became low.
Regardless of the concentration of water fluoridation in different countries, levels of caries has greatly decreased over the past thirty years. This could be attributed to fluoridated toothpastes and different nutritional values in diet.

### Water Fluoridation is regarded by many as 'Mass Medication'

This process is highly controversial – the general population is being medicated without consent. For example, those without dental caries are receiving unneeded fluoride..
Adding fluoride to the water supply does not take into consideration the individual's circumstances such as age, gender,and medical history; and is therefore unethical. Fluoridation is medicating people with an uncontrolled dose and can be hazardous to those who do not require it. For example, infants whose formula was made with fluoridated water are receiving a fluoride dose that is 100 times that of an infant who is breastfed. This mass medication of infants is extremely unethical.

### A Decrease in IQ Levels

The children's IQ levels decreased by 5 to 10 points when compared to those with high concentrations of fluoride and low concentrations of fluoride.

### Overtime exposure to fluoride has shown to increase chances of adult tooth loss

Across the United States since the 1960's, surveys were conducted country and state wide based on fluoride in the water systems. It has been determined that exposure to fluoride has increased adult tooth loss.

### Harmful to development of children's teeth

In various locations of India children are given fluoride supplements via drops or chewable tablets, causing dental fluorosis..

### Larger Amounts of Fluoride in drinking water causes higher risks of bone and hip fractures

Chinese populations that were exposed to larger amounts of Fluoride in drinking water (over 4.32 ppm) had higher risks of bone and hip fractures.

### The amount of fluoridated water cannot be controlled

Since water fluoridation is a form of medication, it will be impossible to control the amount of water consumed by each individual because different people consume different amounts of water daily. This might lead to some health problems.