Fluoride is believed to be an effective, cost-effective, and safe way to reduce tooth decay.  Most people accept that it’s effective and cost-effective – as for it being safe well, that’s a different issue.

Fluoride was discovered back in 1901.  According to AI Overview, a dentist named McKay worked in Colorado Springs, and he noticed that many of his patients had brown stains on their teeth.  Upon further investigation, he realized that patients who had those stains were also resistant to tooth decay.  McKay traced those stains to the local water supply, which had a high fluoride content.   

In the 1940s, scientists found more reliable evidence that people who lived in areas with high levels of fluoride in their drinking water had fewer cavities.  This led to additional research which supported the theory, and in the 1950s fluoride was added to water systems throughout the U.S.  This marked the beginning of an era of new and improved dental care. 

Sounds great so far?  Yes - but the story is not as simple as it sounds.  As things turned out, it was also the beginning of a controversy that has already lasted for decades and appears to be becoming even more intense.  

 

But Is It Safe?

Here’s the problem: Many people believe that long term use of fluoride may be linked to very serious health problems and they think it should be banned.  Although this hasn’t gotten much attention, people in dozens of towns across the U.S. agree.  And now, because of a very recent court order, more regulations on using fluoride in drinking water may soon be coming to a tap near you.  

The following in brief is an explanation of the government’s take on this:  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that “fluoridation of community drinking water is a safe and effective way to reduce dental decay.”  

 

Opposing Views

Even though the CDC is widely respected, not everyone agrees with their conclusion.  In fact, there are numerous allegations about the safety of fluoridated water, and following are just some of them.  These appear in an article by Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society.  Following are the major points he makes: 

*it increases the risk of bone fracture and bone cancer, 

*it may interfere with thyroid function as well as with other biological systems, 

*it may lead to fluorosis, a condition that can weaken both teeth and bones. 

There are additional concerns and suspicions, despite the fact that these are disputed by highly regarded scientific organizations.  And some have taken root.

For example, one of these maintains that fluoride affects children’s cognitive abilities.  Another holds that it violates the individual freedoms of people to choose whether or not they want their water to be fluoridated.  

According to Buzzfeed News, “Conspiracy theorists have railed for seven decades against fluoride, suggesting that water fluoridation was a government mind-control trick.”  Others go even further, such as the one that claims this is part of a massive communist conspiracy.  And still another claims that it’s an attempt by the U.S. government to lower IQs in certain communities.  Conspiracy theories?  Who knows?  

 

Alive And Well

Although many (if not most) conspiracy theories are ultimately repudiated, some of the ones swirling around fluoridated water do persist.  In fact, after decades they are still alive and well – and a few may be gaining credibility, particularly the one about lowering IQs.  

In late September, Headline US reported the following news story – which also appeared in numerous other news outlets – and it feeds right into conspiracy theorists’ hands.  And here’s how it all began: “A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children.”  

This is a remarkable ruling from a federal judge because it adds validity to this controversy.  Here is one comment that followed immediately after this ruling.  “The government’s use of fluoridation, especially in specific communities, might be part of a deliberate attempt to lower intelligence in order to create a more compliant and subservient population for the New World Order.”  At one time, an opinion like this would have been dismissed by most people as lunacy, but not so today.  

   

On A Roll

Persistence pays off, and whoever doubts this could learn a lesson from the anti-fluoride movement.  NBC News reported that in the five years between 2013 -2018, “74 cities have voted to remove fluoride from their drinking water, despite thousands of studies showing it prevents cavities.”   

Since then, other towns in the U.S. – at least two of them in upstate NY – have jumped onto that same bandwagon.  So far, Hawaii is the only state that bans fluoridation.  But numerous countries in Western Europe have also decided to ban it.  They include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.  For a conspiracy theory once ridiculed, this one has done pretty well over the years, wouldn’t you agree?     

This is not to suggest that fluoride doesn’t have its backers, because it certainly does.  One doctor posted the following on the website Quora: “In the recommended levels, this concentration of fluoride (0.85 parts per million) is extremely safe, effectively harmless.  As an obvious comparison, the people who are lobbying our council to get the fluoride out of the water are not lobbying for the abolition of tea; a normal cup of tea contains 3-4 ppm of fluoride. 

“Nobody seems to protest that tea lowers IQ or has other detrimental effects, and this brings me onto the next sorry part of this subject, which is the deliberate disinformation put out by the anti-fluoride activists.”

In any case, a growing number of people seemingly are siding with the anti-fluoride crowd.  A very recent issue of The Epoch Times cited a report in the Oct. 4 Cochrane Review, which it describes as “the gold standard in evidence-based health care,” which states that “the addition of fluoride to drinking water may have fewer health benefits as compared to (the time) before fluoride toothpaste was widely available.”

Controversies about fluoridating do seem to raise serious concerns.  Hopefully, definitive proof, one way or the other, will emerge soon. 

 Sources: AI overview; buzzfeednews.com; headlineus.com; ilovemyteeth.org; mcgill.ca; nbcnews.com; quora.com; theepochtimes.com; zerohedge.com


Gerald Harris is a financial and feature writer. Gerald can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.