Alaska

There has been a decrease in tooth decay in the US after fluoride was added to water supplies. However the same decrease has occurred in other advanced countries which do not artificially fluoridate their water supplies.

One explanation is that the advances in hygiene are responsible for the decrease.
We in the US may be assuming cause and effect relationship where there is just association.

Some people think that what benefit there is to teeth from fluoride is from topical application, not ingestion.

There is now so much fluoride added to products that children may be getting amounts that are high and potentially damaging. Read the warning label on fluoridated toothpaste and accidental poisoning. Many children are using to much toothpaste and swallowing to much of it.

Within the last few years governmental agencies began to recommend that parents not use fluoridated water to mix with formula.

Many countries that previously fluoridated water have stopped. Some cite human rights issue of involuntary mass medication, freedom of choice; alternatives available-such as topics applications, and the relatively small benefit to teeth from adding to water supplies.

Another issue is fluorosis-which is damage to teeth caused by fluoride. Some recent studies have concluded that up to 40 percent of teenagers have some fluorosis. While this often been dismissed by proponents of artificial fluoridation of water as merely cosmetic-it is damage.

Governmental agencies have recently lowered the recommended amounts of fluoride in water-due to possible problems.

We do not know whether water fluoridation may be damaging to bones over time. Not much research being done. there have been some studies that suggest adding fluoride to water may not
be good for people with thyroid conditions.

The CDC promotes certain practices. Marketing statements they have used -such as water fluoridation being the ten wonders of the world-are clearly not scientific statements. People may think there is a lot of hard science behind the marketing statements but I don't think this is accurate.

Most dentists are not scientists, and they accept the American Dental Associations statements without question and repeat them to patients.

The ADA is strongly pro-water fluoridation. Unfortunately it is used as an excuse for not providing dental services for poor children.
Many children in poor neighborhoods of cities such as Atlanta have many cavities and little access to dental services. Dentists prefer to locate in wealthier neighborhoods.

The fluoride added to water supplies is often or usually a form of fluoride obtained from industrial waste products-often from China.

These are just a few of the issues regarding fluoride. The lobby for continuing to fluoridate is strong, there are entrenched interests, and unfortunately profit motives. Often people raising question about fluoridation are verbally abused and ridiculed.

I drink spring water that is unfluoridated as much as possible.