_______________FEAR OF FLUORIDE BY MARK HERTSGAARD AND PHILIP FRAZER (02/17/99)

I don't know why the dental profession even bothers to defend itself in the face of idiotic attacks like this recent article by Mark Hertsgaard and Philip Frazer. There is a never-ending supply of kooks out there, and they need someplace to post their tirades. If the public chooses to believe they would be better off following these gurus and wants to go back to unfluoridated water supplies and fluoride-free toothpastes, I say, "Let them have their way!" Dentists and dentistry would be facing the biggest increase in demand for services ever as a result. Keep up the good work. For you next public health service articles, you could run some great reports on the benefits of smoking, or some phony advice about sunscreens. -- R.E. Brossman, D.D.S., M.S. Wheeling, W.V. I used both fluoride drops and fluoridated toothpastes as a part of my children’s dental hygiene until a year ago when I learned from articles and books that fluoride is not only unnecessary to prevent cavities, but may cause fluorosis as well as bone cancer, bone loss and a host of other illnesses. As a result of our research regarding fluoride, we have broadened our concerns to other dental matters. Toxic-free dentistry encompasses more than eliminating fluoride, it also represents eliminating amalgams when obtaining fillings as well as determining what materials are compatible to the body. We have found few dental professionals willing to discuss the hazards of fluoride. Many recognize the hazards of mercury fillings but very few recognize and/or are willing to enter into a discussion regarding the toxic properties of fluoride. One dentist went so far as to say to us that he could not discuss the role of hygiene and diet in preventing cavities until we used fluoride as a part of our children's care. I am certain that we have made an informed and beneficial decision on our family’s behalf, and am also hopeful that the attitude toward fluoride will change as more wonderful articles such as this appear in popular journals such as Salon. -- Sharon Schnall Your article attacking fluoride toothpaste and water fluoridation is claptrap. In proper concentration, water fluoridation lowers the incidence of tooth decay 20 to 40 percent and is perfectly safe. That's why public health departments and major health organizations throughout the world endorse it. For further information, read Bob Sprague and Mary Bernhardt's article on fluoridation hype. -- Stephen Barrett, M.D. Board Chairman, Quackwatch When Crest appeared on the market as the first toothpaste containing fluoride, parents were warned that children under 6 should not be permitted to use it because they were more likely to swallow while brushing. We were also warned not to swallow and admonished to rinse thoroughly after brushing to avoid accidental ingestion of fluoride. I wonder when those labels disappeared? -- Jack Love Sullivan San Francisco Thank you for publishing the only comprehensive article on opposition to fluoride, to date. Thanks also to the brave Environmental Protection Agency scientists and others who have risked their professional careers blowing the whistle on fluoride. It is shocking how boldly fluoride has been promoted by the management of federal and state agencies and health associations, despite a mountain of evidence documenting overexposure to fluoride among the American public, as well as fluoride's widespread and serious harmful health effects. -- Lynn Landes Director, Zero Waste America Mark Hertsgaard and Phillip Frazer's article terrifies the reader by claiming that "a growing body of scientific research suggests" (weasel word!) that fluoride may (another weasel word) cause cancer, impaired brain function and fluorosis. Fluoride is compared to lead, arsenic and radiation. In their final paragraph, however, the authors admit that "we don't yet know enough to say definitively that [fluoridation has] all been a mistake." That's a very weak conclusion, given the ferocious lead to the story. The authors ought to weigh against the tentative and hesitant conclusion the accumulated weight of half a century of experience. Where we live, the water is not fluoridated. So when our children were young, we gave them fluoride drops to strengthen their teeth. Our children are fine, and so are their teeth. It seems to me that the benefits of fluoridation greatly outweigh the microscopic risks, if there are any. -- John W. Farley Las Vegas N E X T+P A G E+| Why Monica is no victim