The American Dental Association concurs: "It also
is critical that the dentist assess a child’s total fluoride
exposure from all sources (beverages, food, toothpaste,
supplements, topical applications and so forth..." (Journal of the American Dental Association 2014)
But now, as the California state dental director and American Dental Association's National Fluoridation Advisory Committee, Kumar says "my job is to promote fluoridation."
Never is fluoride intake tallied when communities are pressured to continue or start fluoridation. Legislators should know much fluoride children already ingest before feeding them more via their water supply.
In fact, a 1999 study specific to non-fluoridated Connersville, Indiana, showed resident children ingested sufficient fluoride from foods, beverages and dental products. Dentists ignored that inconvenient fact pushed more fluoride into them in 2000 after a successful but misguided lobbying effort to start fluoridation.
Fluoride sources are many:
"Chief sources of fluoride pollutants are glassworks, steelworks, ceramic factories, phosphate fertilizer plants, brickworks, aluminum factories and uranium smelters. Combustion of coal is also source of fluorine pollution to some extent. Most injurious fluoride pollutant is gaseous hydrogen fluoride (HF). Fluoride is released into the air in large quantities by aluminum reduction plants, phosphate processors, steel mills, coal burning operations, brick and tile manufacturers, and various less significant sources (8). It can cause adverse effects when ingested by domestic animals or absorbed by plants. Fluoride air pollution adversely affect health of human beings. Fluorides are released into the atmosphere in gaseous state (as hydrogen fluoride and silicon tetra-fluoride) as well and in form of solid particles. These particles fall on and the gases are absorbed by, plants/ vegetation near the source of pollution. If such vegetation/ plants are consumed by the animals like cattle, sheep, horses, or pigs they will suffer from serious problems as these animals, particularly the cattle are vulnerable to fluoride (9). Ninety-six percent of the ingested fluoride accumulates in the bodies of animals is incorporated into the crystal structure of bone and tooth mineral (10, 11). Fluorides affect the bones & teeth (9, 12, 13)."
Absent from labels, fluoride is in virtually all foods and beverages, including, soda, baby foods and all infant formulas, It’s high in tea (up to 6 mg/L), ocean fish and soy products. And,
because of fluoride-containing
pesticide residues, all grapes and its products (raisins,
juice, wine, jellies, jams) have a significant fluoride content.
EPA allows extremely high amounts of fluoride pesticide residues on foods See "Fluoride tolerances approved by US EPA as of July 15, 2005"
Fluoride is even in chocolate and french fries and sea salt, Himalayan salt contains some fluoride too.
Foods
made with mechanically separated (boned) chicken, such as canned meats, hot
dogs, and infant foods, also add fluoride to the diet (J Agric Food Chem Sept 2001) "A single serving of chicken sticks alone would provide about half of a child's upper limit of safety for fluoride," the researchers report.
Fluoride ingested daily from toothpaste ranges from 1/4 to 1/3 milligram (National Institutes of Health) “Gels used by dentists are typically applied one to four times a year and can lead to ingestions of 1.3 to 31.2 mg fluoride each time.”
"Following Silver Diamine Fluoride application, the serum fluoride concentrations ranged from 6 to 36ng/mL(0.006 to 0.036 ppm)"
Other sources come from feed regimens of animal products, animal products; food storage containers (Teflon-coated containers); and food packaging (migration of perfluorochemicals into food).
Paper straws even contain fluorinated compounds.
How much is too much?
According to the National Academy of Sciences, “without causing unwanted side effects including moderate dental fluorosis,” (yellow splotched teeth), the adequate daily intake of fluoride, from all sources, should not exceed: (But does)
-- 0.01 mg/day for 0 – 6-month-olds (which is in every infant formula – concentrated or not)
-- 0.5 mg/day for 7 through 12 months
-- 0.7 mg/day for 1 – 3-year-olds
-- 1.1 mg/day for 4 – 8 year olds
This is what moderate dental fluorosis looks like, according to the US Centers for Disease Control
The US Department of Health and Human Services (1991) estimated that total fluoride exposure in fluoridated communities ranges from 1.6 to 6.6 mg/day
Further, parents need to know that fluoride supplements have “not been found by FDA to be safe and effective.”
No evidence proves anyone is or ever was fluoride-deficient. Fluoride isn’t a nutrient or essential for decay-free teeth – meaning that fluoride-free diets do not cause cavities. Fluoride is a drug with side effects. In fact, 70% of US kids are fluoride overdosed and afflicted with dental fluorosis – white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted teeth which created a lucrative market for cosmetic dentistry because fluoride is everywhere. But tooth decay is still epidemic
The EPA regulates water fluoride levels to protect against fluoride-caused bone damage. So It's important to know that fluoride concentration in drinking water does not equate to an individual's daily dose. Fluoridation should never begin without fore knowledge of the community's fluoride intake from all sources.
Foods originating from Mexico have higher concentrations of fluoride than those found in US foods
"Chief sources of fluoride pollutants are glassworks, steelworks, ceramic factories, phosphate fertilizer plants, brickworks, aluminum factories and uranium smelters. Combustion of coal is also source of fluorine pollution to some extent. Most injurious fluoride pollutant is gaseous hydrogen fluoride (HF). Fluoride is released into the air in large quantities by aluminum reduction plants, phosphate processors, steel mills, coal burning operations, brick and tile manufacturers, and various less significant sources (8). It can cause adverse effects when ingested by domestic animals or absorbed by plants. Fluoride air pollution adversely affect health of human beings. Fluorides are released into the atmosphere in gaseous state (as hydrogen fluoride and silicon tetra-fluoride) as well and in form of solid particles. These particles fall on and the gases are absorbed by, plants/ vegetation near the source of pollution. If such vegetation/ plants are consumed by the animals like cattle, sheep, horses, or pigs they will suffer from serious problems as these animals, particularly the cattle are vulnerable to fluoride (9). Ninety-six percent of the ingested fluoride accumulates in the bodies of animals is incorporated into the crystal structure of bone and tooth mineral (10, 11). Fluorides affect the bones & teeth (9, 12, 13)."
END