US National Academy of Sciences reports fluoride in drinking water damages bones and teeth
Fluoride in drinking water – long controversial when it is deliberately
added to strengthen teeth – could damage bones and teeth, the United
States National Academy of Sciences announced on 24 March, reported The Canberra Times (25 March 2006 p20).
Natural fluoride needs to be taken into account: The majority of
Americans, including those whose water supply has fluoride added, drink
water that is well below the limit for fluoride levels set by the US
Environmental Protection Agency. But the academy’s expert panel said
about 200,000 people in the US might consume water that was at or above
the Government’s standard because of naturally occurring fluoride.
Dental risks to children: Children exposed to the Government’s
current maximum fluoride limit “risk developing severe tooth enamel
fluorosis, a condition characterised by discolouration, enamel loss and
pitting of the teeth” the academy said. Children were at particular
risk in communities with water at or near the federal limit, where
about 10 per cent of young people developed severe tooth enamel
fluorosis, the report said.
Bone fractures too: Over a lifetime, people who drink water with
the level near the federal limit of fluoride probably have a higher
risk for bone fractures, a majority of the panel concluded.
Research applauded: The Environmental Working Group, a
non-profit watchdog organisation, applauded the academy’s report for
raising health concerns about excessive fluoride in drinking water.
“The bottom line from the nation’s top voice on science is that you can
protect your children’s teeth by brushing them and you can protect
their bones by getting rid of fluoride in tap water,” the group’s
senior scientist, Tim Kropp, said.