ADA misrepresented important findings in the 2006 National Research Council (NRC)(2) report and trivialized the significance of the dental fluorosis epidemic afflicting American children (CDC, 2005).
"We don't understand why the ADA won't deal honestly with the science that caused 600 professionals to urge fluoridation be ended,"(3) says Paul Connett, PhD, FAN Director.
The ADA says the NRC report is not relevant to water fluoridation, but,according to its website, made this statement before it had reviewed the report. In March, 2006 it wrote: "Additional information will appear on ADA.org after the report has been reviewed"(4) but no further information has appeared.
Connett says, "The ADA assessment is totally superficial, in contrast to statements from three NRC panel members who wrote important chapters in the report."
Kathleen Thiessen, PhD says, "I have become increasingly convinced that deliberate exposure of a large fraction of the U.S. population ... to uncontrolled and unmonitored intake of fluoride in their drinking water is unwise at best, and probably harmful to a substantial number of people."(5)
Hardy Limeback, PhD, DDS, writes, " ... it is obvious that the benefit of fluoridation is next to nil. ... I am even more convinced that fluoride should be banned as a systemic drug (which includes water fluoridation)..."(6)
Robert L. Isaacson, PhD adds, "The health of the entire country is at risk as long as fluoridation of the drinking water remains uncurbed."(6)
The ADA claims that dental fluorosis, which now impacts 32% of American children, is "so slight that only trained professionals can notice it."However, very mild fluorosis affects up to 25% of tooth surfaces and mild
up to 50%(7). The CDC reports that 4% of children have moderate or severe fluorosis(8), in which all tooth surfaces are affected, frequently with brown staining and sometimes pitting.
"These categories are easy to identify and can result in psychological harm," says Connett. "We urge citizens to sign the ONLINE MESSAGE calling for an end to fluoridation and to begin Congressional hearings at:
http://www.actionstudio.org/public/page_view_all.cfm?option=begin&pageid=8276
References:
(1)
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=2625
(2)
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11571
(3)
http://www.fluoridealert.org/statement.august.2007.html
(4)
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/fluoride_report_response.pdf
(5)
http://www.fluoridealert.org/thiessen-letter.pdf
(6)
http://www.fluorideaction.org/statement.quotes.aug.2007.pdf
(7)
http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/facts/fluoridation_facts.pdf
(8)
SOURCE: Fluoride Action Network
http://www.FluorideAction.Net