The majority of information in this article has been collected and condensed from the International Academy of Oral Medicine & Technology.

The United States is one of the only developed countries in the world that actively fluoridates the water supply. In Western Europe, 97% of the water supply does not contain fluoride. The issue with added fluoride is a lack of research showing true benefits. No modern large-scale study can show that fluoridated water improves dental health. Numerous groups are working to remove fluoride from our water, but what can we do in the meantime?

WHAT IS FLUORIDE?

Fluoride is the anion of the element fluorine and naturally exists in minerals. This means it’s already in the soil, water, and air. It is also being chemically synthesized for other uses, like community water fluoridation, and is in turn unnaturally increasing the levels of fluoride in the environment. Observations have shown that this increase has not only had side effects for humans but has also been adversely impacting wildlife.

HUMANS

What is one of the first signs of excess fluoride in humans? In children, it normally results in dental fluorosis. This is a condition in which the enamel of the teeth becomes permanently discolored and irreversibly damaged, resulting in brittle teeth that break and stain easily and have white or brown mottling patterns. For more in-depth information, please view this article by the IAOMT. (2)

Excess fluoride is also suspected to affect hormones in the human body. How does it do this? By building up in the pineal gland. Both the soft tissue and the calcified parts of the pineal gland accumulate higher concentrations of fluoride than their comparative body parts. The impact of these fluoride concentrations require more research, but studies have found that the calcified deposits in the pineal gland are associated with a decreased amount of functioning pinealocytes, impairments to the circadian rhythm, and reduced melatonin production. This decrease in melatonin has also been found to lead to early maturation in females. (3)

Other potential effects that fluoride exposure can have on humans include (4):

WILDLIFE

Some specific animals that have been affected greatly are cows, horses, and domestic pets like cats and dogs. For example, it is suspected that the use of bone meal in dog food has contributed to high levels of fluoride resulting in high rates of osteosarcoma for dogs. It is also suspected to be a factor in high rates of hyperthyroidism in cats. Horses were observed exhibiting dental fluorosis and other crippling symptoms. But the animals that seem to be affected most are cows.

Cows have been observed to have a multitude of side effects from fluoride toxicity including anorexia, chronic convulsions, collapse, cramping, death, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, muscular weakness, nausea, necrosis of the mucosa of the digestive tract, pulmonary congestion, respiratory and cardiac failure, shortened life span, susceptibility to environmental stresses, and vomiting. (1)

Below is a condensed list of animals and side effects that have been linked to fluoride pollution. For a more in-depth read, please view this fact sheet by the IAOMT.

FLUORIDE REDUCTION

How can you reduce the amount of fluoride in your everyday life? We offer a few products you can incorporate into your household to help reduce the fluoride in your drinking water. Whole House Fluoride Removal 20" Water Filter Systems are a great option to help remove up to 95% of fluoride from your drinking, bathing, and shower water.

Countertop Fluoride Removal System and Water Filters are 10" point-of-use filters that also help remove herbicides and other contaminants from your drinking water. We provide replacement filters for whole house and point of use systems.

For general oral health, PurO3 has some great options that will help keep your teeth and gums healthy. Finding a dentist who practices without fluoride is also a great option for helping to reduce your overall consumption of fluoride.

CONCLUSION

The excess of fluoride in the environment, especially in drinking water, is too much for animals and humans. It also brings up concerns about consumer choice and consent, especially since fluoride is suspected to impact nearly every part of the human body. It would be beneficial for more research to be conducted and reported. Fluoride-free options could also be provided for consumers during their dental checkups and for their daily use products.

Glossary

• Circadian Rhythm: Sleep-wake cycle (3)
• Hyperthyroidism: When your thyroid produces too much of the hormone thyroxine which can accelerate your body’s metabolism and lead to unintentional weight loss and a rapid or irregular heartbeat. (5)
• Melatonin: The hormone that regulates your circadian rhythm (sleep cycle), the start of puberty in females, and helps to protect the body from cell damage. (3)
• Osteosarcoma: A bone cancer. (6)

References

1. https://files.iaomt.org/wp-content/uploads/IAOMT-Fact-Sheet-on-Fluoride-and-the-Environment.pdf
2. https://files.iaomt.org/wp-content/uploads/IAOMT-Fluoride-Toxicity-Overview.pdf
3. https://fluoridealert.org/issues/health/pineal-gland/
4. https://iaomt.org/resources/fluoride-facts/fluoride-exposure-human-health-risks/
5. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyperthyroidism/symptoms-causes/syc-20373659#:~:text=Overview,treatments%20are%20available%20for%20hyperthyroidism.
6. https://files.iaomt.org/wp-content/uploads/IAOMT-Fluoride-Position-Paper.pdf