Some would say that ignorance is bliss, and in some instances, I’d have to agree. However, in the case of our bodies’ exposure to fluoride, the passive act of simply being unaware can have some pretty serious side effects, many of which will be discussed throughout the course of this Blog. To begin with, though, I think it’s important to understand the magnitude of our exposure to fluoride, before diving into its health detriments.
Speaking for the general population (though most of the time, not a great idea), our main source of fluoride intake comes from municipal (city government) water systems; all city water is pumped with thousands of barrels of fluoride. But this is easily dodged if you just avoid tap water, right? Not quite. All crops watered with municipal irrigation become infected (which in turn, makes the fluoride accumulate in our bodies), not to mention any canned or manufactured food or drink that is prepared or packaged using municipal water. In a recent study, 42% of 43 tested fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates were found to contain more fluoride than what the EPA considers a “safe level.” Even some medicines, such as Prozac and even some OTC's, and some vaccines infect us with this toxic chemical. We inhale it from auto-exhausts and from the 155,000 tons of fluoride released annually into the air from American factories which spread worldwide. The most recent statistics state that 500,000 tons of fluoride affect the world’s freshwater and seas, 143,000 tons affect the drinking water, and 350,000 people are currently dangerously exposed to fluoride from their line of work.
Altogether, these factors of fluoride exposure substantiate the statistic from a US Department of Health and Health Services report, which states that the average person takes in about 7 parts per million of fluoride per day. Doesn't seem like much. However, I would like to point out that the EPA recommends an optimal 1 part per million per day. Every single day, we are ingesting SEVEN times the amount of fluoride that is deemed tolerable for our bodies and our well-being, without even including the fluoride used in dentistry (either applied topically or prescribed for oral ingestion). On Wednesday, we'll discuss how fluoride became the “oral health fad” that it is today, and start to uncover how it is, ironically, even toxic to your mouth.
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WOW!!!! That is incredible! I had no idea how much floride I have been exposed to! Furthermore, I even took floride tablets when I was little because we don't live in the city so we don't get city water, and therefore my parents thought I needed to take floride supplements. Apparently not. Very interesting Natalie!
ReplyDeleteThat is some scary stuff. I'm debating on wether I should eat, drink or breathe ever again.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting concept! My dentist prescribes prescription flouride routinely for my teeth. After reading this, I'm rethinking continuing to take it. I can't wait to read more about how flouride became an "oral health fad"!
ReplyDeleteHmm. Makes me think that "swish" in elementary school wasn't as beneficial as some may want to believe.
ReplyDeleteThis is some serious business. I had no idea that we had such a persistant threat to our health, and one that is so prevalent in our day to day lives. I look foward to learning more about this phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteThis is CRAZY and kind of scary! I never knew that fluoride was such a big deal! But I see what you mean about the damaging effects. When I lived in Murphy, the water did not contain fluoride, so my pediatrition made me take extra fluorid and now my teeth have little white spots on them because of this...thanks a lot pediatrition. But really, this is awesome! thank you for the great information! I'll be sure to keep reading!
ReplyDeleteMan, Fluoride is lame, like Flo-Rida.
ReplyDelete*very* interesting. i am completely oblivious to any harmful affects of flouride ... especially considering that we had to "swish" with it every week in elementary school.
ReplyDeletelooking forward to reading more about flouride and how it's rotting my insides.
flouride can do so much to our bodies. your dentist always tells you not to swallow the flouride they use on your teeth. but, now that i know more about it, i will definately keep reading. i want to learn more about what i put into my body. with the food i eat, and the fluids i drink, i will make sure i am much more cautious of what i put into my body. i will definately keep reading!!
ReplyDeleteI always used to like the after taste of toothpaste after brushing my teeth but now I'm just gonna think about all toxicity in my mouth :(
ReplyDeleteWHOA! that is so intense! next time i'm at the dentist...i'll bring my fluoride detector to ensure that not ONE OUNCE of fluo gets in my mouth!!
ReplyDeleteHmm, very scary indeed. Since I was little, every visit to the denist included a mouthful of foamy flouride. Now, I can tell my dental hygenist "NO! I do not want it anymore. Not only does flouride make me want to gag, but it is also dangerous to my body!" I gotta be careful what I put in there. Who would have thought something so seemingly harmless could be so dangerous to the health of the human population?
ReplyDeleteJeeze! That's a lot of flouride. Makes me happy we get our water from a well, but I'm suspicious of all the other ways I could be exposed. Do kids still have to 'swish' in elementary school?
ReplyDeleteThink this is crazy? Check out what dihydrogen monoxide can do to you @ http://www.dhmo.org/.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...wait a second, dihydrogen monoxide is literally H2O=water.
I can't find anything about the EPA limiting fluoride to 1 ppm per day. 1 part per million= 1 mg/L of water which amounts to about 1 salt crystal from your salt shaker in a 1 liter bottle of water. What I do know is true is that the EPA and the ADA recommend fluoride concentrations in community water at .7-1.2 ppm or mg/L. These concentrations are altered to account for climate discrepancies in the country meaning that hotter climates have less fluoride in the water because people are supposed to drink more and stay hydrated. Find details here:
http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.html#five
and http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/positions/statements/fluoride_community_effective.asp.
Fluorosis, in its mildest form is characterized by little white stains on the teeth. This can also look like enamel decalicification. Fluorosis in its more severe form is characterized by brown pits in the enamel. This is a real problem that affects many many communities, especially ones that have a lot of fluoride in their water naturally. Examples : parts of Northern Mexico and the mountainous regions of Colorado. It is important to note that teeth are only subject to fluorosis when they are developing. As an adult, you can not get fluorosis unless you are a shark and continue to get many many sets of teeth :)
Whoahh I sense some sarcasm throughout a comment or two.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do believe your research to be 100% accurate, some questions still linger in my mind. Obviously this is only the first post and I'm sure you'll cover these questions and topics soon.
In many cases the FDA,the EPA, and America's government in general all can be skewed and ignorant at times. But I can't help to think that if fluoride was so detrimental to humans and to the environment than why hasn't there been a public outcry from citizens OR higher officials. Many chemists, biochemists, dentists, etc. use fluoride on a regular basis. After years of using fluoride in our society, shouldn't we be seeing some side effects? Once again, I'm sure you'll be covering these issues soon, and sorry to jump the gun. I just can't help but to think that our government, scientists, chemists, and associations would have banned the use of fluoride if it was THAT bad.
Nonetheless the blog is great. I would NOT be surprised at all if there is some sort of national ban on the use of fluoride in the near future...because of this blog. just amazing...and electrifying
Wow thats really interesting. I never realized that fluoride was bad for you. I know when I was younger my mom used to get the bottled water that contained fluoride in it because apparently it was supposed to be good for you and would reduce the risk of tooth decay. I guess it's not good for you after all.
ReplyDeleteThis is an AWESOME senior project topic natalie! I had absolutely no idea just how much fluoride I was being exposed to on a day to day basis! At least I skipped the elementary school swish when I was younger :)
ReplyDeleteTo crazy fluoride man and peter:
ReplyDeletethanks for reading thoroughly enough to argue, and there are clearly two sides to this issue, both with valid points.
though fluorosis will clearly be covered in the next few posts (as it's the quintessential health effect of fluoride), i can strongly say that fluorosis is one of the mildest effects of fluoride upon the body, and that the mouth is, as some would say, "the least of our problems." when fluoride is ingested or taken in, the climax of its accumulation is not the oral cavity, but the skeletal system and the brain (we'll get there eventually :) ).
peter: good questions. most of the people who ARE posing the outcries are dismissed as wackos. as you'll see though, fluoride became "popular", if you will, in an unorthodox (or lately not so unorthodox) manner that was economically beneficial, as opposed to beneficial to HEALTH. i'll be sure to cover that wednesday. in short, it has been and currently is making enough money that the side effects are generally overlooked.
natalie oh my!!! i loved reading what you write. I had no idea about all of these crazy things!! goodness whatever would I do without you!!
ReplyDeleteim never drinking flouride enhanced h2o again
ReplyDeletewow, this is very interesting. i never knew flouride had a harmful effect on my body. thanks for being interested in this topic and informing us all. very helpful!
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. Thats a lot of flouride going into the environment!
ReplyDeleteWhat determines how much flouride is TOO MUCH? I guess i'll just have to check in later this week to find out...
This is a really cool project idea. Also, I now more about flouride than i ever have before, which was nothing. I'm sure I'll learn even more through the next four weeks! Plus Andy's right Flo-Rida is lame.
ReplyDeleteLink my blog to your blog. http://surfingcardboard.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the world of Senior Project blogs, I'll be the first to welcome you.
Wow these are some crazy scary facts. To me it seems there's no way of avoiding fluoride and its harmful affects
ReplyDeleteFlourife-Flo-Rida exchange of the day:
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, though, i think its important to understand the magnitude of our exposure to Flo-Rida, before diving into its health detriments.
That is unbelievable. Our society seems so concerned with our increasly poor health, and yet we have factors like this one that we have NO control over! thats like telling a baby that it is drinking 7 times the normal amount of milk a day when the baby has no control over how much it's mother feeds it! It should be the governments priority to lower the levels of flouride in our water systems; it must be possible.
ReplyDeleteWow, I never knew that flouride was bad. I mean Ive seen how too much can leave marks on peoples teeth, but the dentist always told me that flouride was necessary until a child turns like 15 or something like that.
ReplyDelete