I’m a retired Newport naturopathic physician who has spent years researching the claims that water fluoridation is “safe and effective.” In fact, it’s neither.
Contrary to the claim that it’s one of the top public health achievements of the 20th century, it’s actually one of the most widely rejected health interventions in the world.
Out of 195 nations, only 23 have any fluoridation. Over 95% of the world’s population is fluoridation-free. In Europe, only three out of 44 countries fluoridate, and numerous nations, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, prohibit it.
Last September, a federal court ruled, based on decades of studies and testimony from the world’s leading scientists, that fluoridation “poses an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children.” Since that decision, over 65 communities in the U.S. have ended it. Not one has started it for the first time. Oregon voters rejected fluoridation decisively in Portland in 2013, Newport in 2016 and last November in Hillsboro and Lebanon.
The National Toxicology Program, the nation’s highest-level review, linked higher fluoride with lower IQs in18 out of the 19 highest-quality studies, several at levels in fluoridated water. NTP stated this IQ loss “may also be relevant to people living in optimally fluoridated areas of the United States.”
The claim that fluoridation reduces cavities by 25% is badly outdated. According to the Cochrane Collaboration, the gold standard of evaluating effectiveness, it’s 0-4%, a mere one fourth of one tooth maximum. It’s absurd to risk permanent brain damage in our children for this.
The trend away from fluoridation is clear. Ending the practice will be one of the top ten public health achievements of the 21st century. Thank you for the opportunity to clarify the risks of fluoridation.
Dr. Lakshmi Susan Andersen, ND, LAC
Newport
Original article online at: https://www.thenewsguard.com/opinion/letter-widely-rejected-health-interventions/article_5fb2fa68-3597-4ade-a25e-90e04de6978d.html