Mrs. Weer’d sends me this story:
Harvard University researchers conducted a review of fluoride/brain studies and concluded that there is a possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposure on children’s neurodevelopment. Children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQs than those who lived in low fluoride areas, and the EPA says that there is substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity.
Fluoride, or fluosilicic acid, is added to US water supplies at approximately 1 part per million in attempts to reduce tooth decay.
The studies only reviewed water as the primary fluoride source based on high water fluoride levels, though they point out research by Ding (2011) that suggests low water fluoride levels has significant negative associations with children’s intelligence.
Its a bit out of my realm of expertise, and again I can’t see the study methods done. I probably would have skipped this story, if it wasn’t for an excuse to play this clip:
Years ago, fluoridation was put on the ballot for Salt Lake County. I opposed it on the grounds that you shouldn’t be unnecessarily tinkering with the water supply, and if you didn’t want fluoride in the water, there wasn’t much you could do to get it out. It passed, but I didn’t think much about it afterward.
Then I moved to New York State, and I started dating the person I would later marry…and I started getting dry patches on my skin. At first, I blamed anti-persperant, which I started using instead of deoderant because my girlfriend was allergic to perfumes and scents. When I got married, we then moved to Troy, and I started getting really dry skin.
Then, when I was visiting my family, my Dad complained that washing in fluoridated water dries out the skin. This caused me to look up just what fluoridation is suppossed to do to you, and I discovered that allegedly, dry skin is a symptom of drinking the stuff. Thus, I started to drink water bottled from my school in Albany (since Troy fluoridated their water, but Albany did not), and the dry skin calmed down. The patches didn’t go away until I stopped using fluoridated toothpaste.
The only reason I can think of, that I started getting those patches when I started dating my wife, was that we spent a lot of time with her sister and brother-in-law, and they happened to live in Troy themselves….
So, yeah, I’m anti-fluoridation. About the most I will do, though, is oppose it on the ballot, and refuse to live in places that fluoridate their water.
Oh, and the conspiracy? I read an article that claims that the anti-cavity properties of fluoride is a ruse. It was to cover up the damage the Manhatten project did, when they released a lot of fluoride into the atmosphere, and damaged the surrounding crops and herds. Government wanted to minimise their settlement payments. (I don’t know if I believe these conspiracy claims, but the claims are out there, for us to gawk at and make fun of. 🙂
I think your argument is great. The idea that the water supply is supposed to take care of our teeth…meanwhile every mouth product is fluoridated for that EXACT reason…and its not like if you’re dirt poor and can’t afford a tooth brush and a tube of Colgate, your teeth won’t rot out of your gob if you just drink the water.
I really don’t have a huge opinion, but you’re spot on, if we don’t need it, don’t add it!
Ice cream, Weer’d, children’s ice cream…
Look here, Major Batguano, if that really IS your name…