Fluoride - Not so great?

[ArthurWilborn]

I got into a conversation with someone today about fluoridation in water. I was initially dismissive, expecting a conspiracy theory rant, but they directed me to the city of Calgary where a scientist has convinced the locals to stop fluoridation.

http://www.fluoridation.com/calgaryh.htm

His central claim is that fluoride will accumulate in the bones with repeated exposure. He claims that this can cause bone cancer later in life. He also cites several studies that claim that fluoridation can cause skeletal fluorisis, which makes bones brittle and subject to fracture.

Is he on to something here? This would hardly be the first time massive public policy was pushed based on bad science, after all.

 

[Inferno]

Well I've taken a quick look at the site you've provided and even if what you say about cancer is absolutely correct, the site still seems to be a conspiracy theory load of crap.

Taken from their 50 reasons to oppose fluoridation

Fluoridation is unethical. Informed consent is standard practice for all medication, and one of the key reasons why most of Western Europe has ruled against fluoridation.

But that's not true at all. Many countries still cite technical problems as the reason why they haven't implemented fluoridation while others simply haven't reached a decision yet, even though in most cases their health organisations are pro-fluoridation. Partial Source

And from their homepage:

Promoters of water fluoridation offer the lure of strong, healthy teeth and reduced dental bills as inducements for communities to fluoridate their water. Fluoride is also promoted for other tooth-related uses. However, even the promoters have scaled down the benefits claimed for water fluoridation and admitted the danger of fluorosis from toothpaste.

And there I thought fluoride in toothpaste was opposed because it's such a short-time exposure, while fluoride in drinking water actually enters the body.

I'm fairly sure that Ben Goldacre said something about water fluoridation in his book "bad science". And I'm fairly sure it was pro.

 

[Isotelus]

Following the link to the scientist's name, you'll see this:

Degrees and professional qualifications

B.A. Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK
M.Sc. Human Factors & Artificial Intelligence, Loughborough University, UK
P.Eng. APEGBC (British Columbia, Canada) and APEGGA (Alberta, Canada)
C.Eng. Engineering Council, UK
F.B.C.S. British Computer Society, UK

Be immediately skeptical considering his qualifications on this topic. Besides, flouride's safety and effectiveness is pretty well-supported, so I remain unconvinced.

I live in Calgary, btw.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

The real point here is that the government advocates it, and government is always wrong by default.

 

[australopithecus]

Peer review or I call bullshit.

 

[Logic-Nanaki]

Following the link to the scientist's name, you'll see this:

Degrees and professional qualifications

B.A. Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK
M.Sc. Human Factors & Artificial Intelligence, Loughborough University, UK
P.Eng. APEGBC (British Columbia, Canada) and APEGGA (Alberta, Canada)
C.Eng. Engineering Council, UK
F.B.C.S. British Computer Society, UK

Be immediately skeptical considering his qualifications on this topic. Besides, flouride's safety and effectiveness is pretty well-supported, so I remain unconvinced.

I live in Calgary, btw.

Reading that, adds to my observation on one thing. but the question is. Why is it that it's usually engineers and other technical professions that try to say stuff about a field that is not in their line of expertise? It reminds me about my brother who is a Technical engineer, and yet try to impose a strange view on astronomy without even bothering to read up on what's up (pun intended) on astronomy.

But my uneducated opinion on fluoridation is that teeth gets stronger, but discolored if taken in large doses. but have not heard about them getting more brittle. unless one thinks about it in a mechanical way (my profession) . take steel for example. it's hard. but one can get harder steel by tempering it, but it makes it more brittle and prone to shattering. maybe that's a possible way for their reasoning that fluoride is bad...? my 2 cents anyway

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Reading that, adds to my observation on one thing. but the question is. Why is it that it's usually engineers and other technical professions that try to say stuff about a field that is not in their line of expertise?

Because we take a wide survey of mid-level undergrad science classes, and some of us forget that there's a whole world of post-grad science that we neither see nor need for work, but that nevertheless limits our actual expertise.

 

[Laurens]

Fluoride is what the NWO put in because it makes your mind easier to control through the TV. They pulses in the TV can control everything you do. THEY CAN EVEN KILL YOU WITH THE TELEVISION SET. I tell no lie. Those darn bastards won't take my liberty they'll have to prize it from my cold dead hand as I lie in the mud at a FEMA camp. Fluoride is killing our children and turning them homosexual so the Illuminati can dominate the planet...

Oh wait sorry I turned into Alex Jones there.

 

[Frenger]

Come on guys, wise up. Fluoride is mind melting, brain washing medicine.

The dentists have been putting it in tooth paste for years! But I'm one step ahead.