Regarding Collier County resident and former Collier County Public Information Officer Camden Smith’s petition to end water fluoridation, residents that attend the February 23 meeting of the Collier County Board of Commissioners will benefit from hearing important facts on outcomes of research conducted on the toxicological data on fluoride by organizations such as the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) as well as from World Fluoridation: A Critical Review of the Physiological Effects of Ingested Fluoride as a Public Health Intervention—a report published in the Scientific World Journal (HindAwi.com). A new international clearinghouse for neurotoxicity of all chemicals, including fluoride, has been recently proposed in The Lancet Neurology medical journal.

Smith will add to her case that the health risks of fluoridation outweigh the benefits of cavity prevention. Her testimony will cite statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that address an increase in fluorosis in teens due to water fluoridation as well as the U.S. Surgeon General office’s reason for the needed reduction: “Now Americans have access to more sources of fluoride, such as toothpastes and mouth rinses, than they did when water fluoridation was first introduced in the U.S.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests that the reduction would prevent visible signs of toxic exposure that have shown up as dental fluorosis in approximately 40 percent of American teens. This condition, caused by long-term ingestion during the time that teeth are forming, refers to changes in the appearance of tooth enamel—from chalky lines and splotches to dark staining and pitting.

According to the IAOMT policy position reached by examining the toxicological data on fluoride over a period of 18 years, “…There is no discernible health benefit derived from ingested fluoride and the preponderance of evidence shows that ingested fluoride in dosages now prevalent in public exposures aggravates existing illnesses, and causes a greater incidence of adverse health effects. Ingested fluoride is hereby recognized as unsafe, and ineffective for the purposes of reducing tooth decay. Fluoride added to the public water supply, or prescribed as controlled-dose supplements, delivers no discernible health benefit, and causes a higher incidence of adverse health effects.”

Additionally, World Fluoridation: A Critical Review of the Physiological Effects of Ingested Fluoride as a Public Health Intervention also supports the position taken by the IAOMT. “The classification of fluoride as a pollutant rather than as a nutrient or medicine is a useful starting point for analyzing the adverse effect of fluoride. No fluoride deficiency disease has ever been documented for humans. Indeed, the basis for setting an ”adequate intake” of fluoride rests on the alleged ability of ingested fluoride to prevent tooth decay. However, since it is now known that the effect of fluoride is topical, the notion of an adequate daily intake is flawed.

One of the key concerns about water fluoridation is the inability to control an individual’s dose of ingested fluoride, which brings into question the concept of the “optimal dose.” Since the 1980s numerous studies have identified that adults and children are exceeding these agreed limits, contributing to a rapid rise in dental fluorosis—the first sign of fluoride toxicity. In 1991, the CDC measured fluoride levels and found that where water is fluoridated between 0.7 and 1.2 ppm overall, total fluoride intake for adults was between 1.58 and 6.6 mg per day, while for children it was between 0.9 and 3.6 mg per day, and that there was at least a six-fold variation just from water consumption alone.”

Deborah Post, advanced registered nurse practitioner and owner of WellBridges, Inc., in Fort Myers, advises, “I have been a medical practitioner in Naples since 2004. The level of illness I am currently seeing in my practice is unprecedented and the majority of clients have thyroid problems and autoimmune diseases. The body needs iodine, but two other chemicals, fluoride and bromide, bind and fight for position in the body. Residents deserve the choice of not putting this toxic industrial waste product, which may also be contaminated with lead, arsenic, radio nucleotides, aluminum and other industrial contaminants, in their body when they take a shower.

Post also notes that the fluoride added to municipal water supplies is not pharmaceutical grade. “Twenty-three studies from four countries indicate that even moderate exposure to fluoride lowers intelligence quotient (IQ). The daily dose of fluoride recommended by the American Dental Association results in the same level of fluoride in our blood, which is shown to cause an eight-point drop in IQ. Poison control must be called if we swallow a quarter milligram of fluoride from toothpaste. Meanwhile just one glass of water can contain this amount of fluoride,” says Post.

To allay concerns that individuals in favor of fluoridation might have regarding its reduction, the Scientific World Journal cites the benefits of using newer non-fluoride approaches such as probiotics, Xylitol and biofilms that show increasing promise in cavity prevention with a strong safety profile in relation to human health.

We drink, bathe in and swim in fluoridated water, which is absorbed by the skin, the largest organ of the body, thus creating a cumulative effect. Shouldn’t Collier County residents be the ones to decide whether they receive fluoride, which the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] classifies as a drug, or medical treatment in their water?” says Smith, who will present her comments for 10 to 20 minutes prior to comments from the opposition. Afterward, any public speakers may present comments before the board’s discussion.

Any member of the public may attend and sign up to be a speaker at the meeting. Location: 3299 E. Tamiami Tr., Bldg. 5, third floor, Naples. For the agenda time, contact Collier County Communications at 239-252-8999.