BY Katherine Kelly

In the upcoming campaign to place a moratorium on water fluoridation until such time the supplier/manufacturer discloses a list of contaminants in the fluoridation product, provides all toxicological data on the fluoridation chemical, and certifies in writing the safety of this fluoridation for the consumption by every segment of the population, get ready for the onslaught of fallacy. The opposition to this measure will stop at nothing, including bald faced lies, to persuade the very gullible that this highly toxic industrial waste byproduct (AKA: captured poisonous gases) is HEALTHY to consume.

If you are truly that gullible then reading this is not going to help you. You might as well drink the poison and be done with it.  But for those who can think and use common sense, the argument of pros and cons can get confusing and it’s hard to know what to believe.  The following debunking of commonly used fluoridation myths may help when it comes to sorting out truth from fallacy. The following “facts” are used commonly by fluoridation promoters but they are anything but factual. It helps to know how they came to be.

After nine years of learning and talking about fluoride and fluoridation I think I’ve heard them all. I know in an instant when they are true or not because I am familiar with the history and background of this so-called knowledge. Use this simple fact sheet when reading campaign letters and ads and ballot arguments. I promise to tell the truth in whatever I write for the public. The other side, not so much. They even lied on the ballot argument.

Myth #1: Fluoridation reduces tooth decay by 60%.

Reality #1: If fluoridation really reduces tooth decay by 60% then Del Norte County would have virtually no tooth decay. Currently our decay rate is 70%. That’s very high, and we’ve been fluoridating for over 40 years.

The 60% figure is a complete fraud. This is how they got it:

An incorrect reading of the statistics in the Kingston/Newburgh study led to the false conclusion of large reductions in tooth decay. “They ignored the fact that fluoride interferes with proper growth of children’s permanent teeth, which causes teeth to erupt later than normal. Teeth that have not yet erupted cannot decay; therefore, at first (at age 6) the fluoridated Newburgh children had 100% less tooth decay, by age 7 also 100% less, age 8 – 67% less, age 9 – 50% less, and by age 10 – 40% less. Realizing their experiment was going downhill, the USPHS stopped their experiment early, totaled the five reductions shown, then divided by 5 to obtain what they called “an over-all reduction of 70%.” Obviously, the only reduction that counted at that time was the 40% (age 10).” [3]

“Had the Health Department continued their survey beyond age 10, they would have found that the percentage of reduction continued downhill to 30%, 20%, 0% and eventually these children had more cavities – not less. The rate of decay is identical, once the children’s teeth erupt. (“Fluoridation Benefits – Statistical Illusion.” Testimony of Konstantin K. Paluev, Research and Development Engineer, Mar 6, 1957). [3]

Myth #2: For every dollar spent on fluoridation, $38 is saved.

Reality #2: This figure was arrived by some pretty farfetched assumptions. The biggest assumption of all is that most people make $19 an hour. The second assumption is that every person who gets to the dentist takes two hours off work. Yes, the figure is arrived at by assuming an hourly wage of $19 lost for a two hour dental appointment for every man, woman or child who ever visits the dentist.

Myth #3: Community water fluoridation is the process of adjusting the naturally occurring fluoride level to the optimum level for preventing tooth decay.

Reality #3: The fluoride found in Nature is calcium fluoride. Calcium is an antidote for fluoride poisoning and its presence helps mitigate the damage fluorine does to the human body. The chemical used in water fluoridation, hydrofluosilicic acid, is man-made and found nowhere in Nature. HFSA is captured pollution from the manufacture of phosphate fertilizer. Radium wastes from filtration systems at phosphate fertilizer facilities are among the contaminants of our fluoridation product.

Myth #4: Fluoride is not a poison and there are no harmful contaminates in the fluorides used for water fluoridation.

Reality #4: Fluorosilicic acid contains the following ingredients:
Fluorine 18.5% – Heavy Metals, as lead, Phosphorus , HF (hydrogen fluoride), Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron,  Iodine, Lead, Mercury,  Selenium, Silver.

EPA rates hydrofluosilicic acid (our fluoridation chemical) as acutely toxic.

Myth #5: There are no adverse health effects connected to fluoride or fluoridation.

Reality #5: The most recent published toxicological studies show that our fluoridation chemical doubles the amount of lead in children’s blood. There are 25 studies that show a reduction of IQ even with low levels of fluoride in the water. Other health effects inked to fluoride consumption are bone diseases including arthritis and bone cancer, heart disease, thyroid impairment, seizures, gastric distress. This list is not inclusive. There are too many to cite and more studies are coming to light year after year.