As we write this, a ruling has yet to come down in the federal court case that could spell the end of fluoridation. (In case you missed the news about it when we shared it in a previous newsletter, you can access it here.) One key part of the plaintiffs’ argument? A report from from the National Toxicology Program on fluoride’s neurotoxicity.
Peer reviewed twice, the NTP report is a 6-year systematic review of the science on how fluoride affects the brain. All who reviewed it agreed with its conclusion that fluoride exposure early in life can indeed reduce IQ. Its authors also found “some evidence that fluoride exposure is associated with other neurodevelopmental and cognitive effects in children.”
For years, many dismissed any evidence of the harm fluoride can do, even when it was presented in highly respected scientific journals, such as The Lancet, one of the oldest and most impactful medical journals around. In 2014, they published a paper in which Drs. Philippe Grandjean and Philip Landrigan identified fluoride among several other chemicals that had been shown to have negative effects on children’s neurological development.
Five years later, JAMA Pediatrics published another landmark paper – a study of the neurological effects of fluoride exposure in the womb.
That study involved 601 Canadian mothers and their children, about 41% of whom lived in areas with fluoridated water. The research team first measured fluoride levels in the mothers’ urine during pregnancy and estimated their fluoride intake from water and beverages. When the children were 3-4 years old, their IQs were tested.
Higher levels of fluoride exposure during pregnancy were linked to lower IQ scores at ages 3 to 4, at least for boys. In this particular study, no significant link was found for girls.
Its authors – most notably Dr. Christine Till of the University of York in Toronto – have since gone on to publish additional studies confirming the neurotoxicological harm of fluoride. To learn more about her research and its implications, we strongly recommend watching Dr. Till’s webinar “What’s the Fuss About Fluoride?”
Clearly, there’s plenty to fuss about, which is why our practice is proudly fluoride-free. It’s in none of the products we use, including the composite resins we use to create fillings and other restorations. Fluoride treatments have no place in our office, either. We are committed to providing nontoxic, biocompatible dental care in a holistic way.
We also count ourselves lucky to be here in Port Washington, where there is no mandate to add fluoride to our drinking water. Unfortunately, others in Wisconsin are not so lucky.
At the same time, fluoridation rates in our state have been dropping, albeit very, very slowly. But that will surely change if the court rules against the EPA, compelling them to finally quit adding this dangerous chemical to our water.
