Fact-checking fluoridation PR of Johnny Johnson

Fluoridationists bend the truth 

Johnny Johnson, President of the American Fluoridation Society and ardent fluoridation lobbyist,  used misleading and sometimes dishonest information in his pro-fluoridation presentation to the Missouri Oral Health Coalition April 24, 2024, according to the slide below  

His deceptive list of "false claims by fluoridation opponents" is corrected below this slide from his presentation:

Johnson claims it's false the no toxicological testing has been conducted on fluoride. The Truth:

1) The most used fluoridation chemical, hydrofluosilicic acid, has never been safety tested in animals or humans, according to the US National Toxicology Program.  It was nominated for testing which never occurred.

Johnson claims it's false that the American Dental Association (ADA) says fluoridated water shouldn't be used in making infant formula.  The truth:

2) The American Dental Association says "If your baby is primarily fed infant formula, using fluoridated water might increase the chance for mild enamel fluorosis [white spotted permanent teeth]"

In 2006, the American Dental Association sent out an e-gram "If using a [infant formula] product that needs to be reconstituted, parents and caregivers should consider using water that has no or low levels of fluoride"

Johnson claims that fluorosis is a toxic effect are false:  The truth:

3) Fluoride Toxicity from Medscape "Fluoride toxicity is characterized by a variety of signs and symptoms...Long-term exposure to fluoride through elevated levels in drinking water leads to skeletal and dental fluorosis."  (70% of US children and adolescents are afflicted with dental fluorosis - some of it moderate/severe)

Johnson claims it's false to connect fluoride to ADHD.  The truth:

4) Fluoride and ADHD - Conclusions: The present review suggests that early exposure to fluoride may have neurotoxic effects on neurodevelopment affecting behavioral, cognitive and psychosomatic symptoms related to ADHD diagnosis. However, due to the heterogeneity of the studies included, current evidence does not allow to conclusively confirm that fluoride exposure is specifically linked to ADHD development. (Fluoride Exposure and ADHD: A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Studies)

Johnson makes you doubt fluoride's link to Alzheimer's. The truth

5) Fluoride and Alzheimer's Potential Role of Fluoride in the Etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease (International Journal of Molecular Sciences)

Johnson falsely claims that fluoride doesn't harm the kidney, the immune system and other systems.  The truth:

6) Fluoride's link to kidney disease is over 100 years old Even dentists with the CDC's oral health division have private fears over fluoride's kidney effects, according to freedom of information attained documents.

There is a strong connection between fluoride and adverse thyroid effects and other endocrine effects. Fluoride is especially toxic to babies' developing brains.

Johnson is heavy on name-calling and light on science.   He, not we, always brings up the word conspiracy.  The truth:

7) It's not a conspiracy.  However, hydrofluosilicic acid and sodium fluoride are toxin-laced waste products of phosphate fertilizer manufacturing which are never purified before being added into drinking water. In 1983, Rebecca Hammer, Deputy Assistant Administrator For Water, US EPA stated:

     “In regard to the use of fluosilicic acid as a source of fluoride for fluoridation, this agency regards such use as        an ideal environmental solution to a long-standing problem. By recovering by-product fluosilicic acid from              fertilizer manufacturing, water and air pollution are minimised” and water utilities have a low-cost source of            fluoride available to them." See to Leslie A Russell 30 March 1983 

Johnson wants you to believe fluoridation is still necessary even though cavity rates have declined equally in fluoridated and non-fluoridated countries.  That just doesn't make sense:

8) NYS Dept of Health statistics show there is no correlation between the fluoridation rate of a county and tooth decay rates or to fewer dental-related hospital ER visits for toddlers

Johnson wants you to believe that no one is allergic or sensitive to fluoride. The truth:

9) "Some Individuals Appear To Be Highly Sensitive To Fluoride As Shown By Case Studies And Double-Blind Studies."  In one study, which lasted 13 years, the results showed that about 1% of patients given 1.0 mg of fluoride each day developed negative reactions. The Untold Story Of Fluoridation: Revisiting The Changing Perspectives

Johnson wants you to believe there's no evidence that fluoride is linked to thyroid disease.  The truth:

10) According to the US National Research Council 2006, there is substantial evidence that fluoride exposure can impact thyroid function in some individuals 

Johnson wants you to believe that ingested fluoride is necessary when it's not. 

11) According to the CDC's MMWR 2001 report "The prevalence of dental caries in a population is not inversely related to the concentration of fluoride in enamel, and a higher concentration of enamel fluoride is not necessarily more efficacious in preventing dental caries." and

"Saliva is a major carrier of topical fluoride. The concentration of fluoride in ductal saliva, as it is secreted from salivary glands, is low — approximately 0.016 parts per million (ppm) in areas where drinking water is fluoridated and 0.006 ppm in nonfluoridated areas. This concentration of fluoride is not likely to affect cariogenic activity."

Johnson says fluoride is not a drug.

12) The CDC says: "It is not CDC’s task to determine what levels of fluoride in water are safe."  The EPA regulates fluoride in water as a contaminant to protect bone and tooth damage.  EPA is was sued to acknowledge fluoride's neurological effects.  The Judge ruled that fluoride at levels added to water supplies (0.7 mg/L) poses a risk to babies' developing brains. We are awaiting EPA action. The FDA labels fluoride supplements as "unapproved drugs" because no safety & efficacy studies were ever conducted on sodium fluoride.

Johnson downplays the results of Cochrane report.  The truth:

13) After reviewing all available fluoridation studies, the independent and trusted UK-based Cochrane group of researchers could not find any quality evidence to prove fluoridation changes the "existing differences in tooth decay across socioeconomic groups." Neither could they find valid evidence that fluoride reduces adults' cavity rates nor that fluoridation cessation increases tooth decay. It was published in 2015

Fluoridation may reduce cavities in children (2 primary teeth or 1 permanent tooth). But Cochrane cautions these studies have "high risk of bias" and were mostly done before preventive measures were widespread, e.g. fluoridated toothpaste and sealants.

Two more recent studies, CATFISH and LOTUS, published in 2022 and 2024, respectively, show fluoridation has little or no benefit in modern times.

Johnson admits that fluoridation chemicals aren't pharmaceutical grade.

Because it's illegal to emit fluoride into the atmosphere, it's filtered out from the smokestacks of phosphate fertilizer manufacturing along with trace amounts of lead, arsenic and other toxins, trucked as hazardous material, then injected unpurified into drinking water. See:  Fact Sheet on Fluoridation Products and Fluoride.

14) No fluoride, in any form, should be injected into public water supplies.  Fluoride isn't a nutrient or essential for decay-free teeth.  Consuming a fluoride-free diet doesn't cause cavities.  Fluoride is a drug with adverse side effects.

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