Fluoride in Water Ineffective & Neurotoxic, New Studies Confirm; EPA Sued

Fluoridation Fails in Modern Times, New Studies Show.  Fluoride Confirmed Neurotoxic in 79th Human Study

"Receipt of optimal water fluoridation [between the years] 2010 – 2020 resulted in very small positive health effects which may not be meaningful for individuals," according to the largest ever study of its kind conducted on UK adolescents and adults, (LOTUS study), published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology on 1/8/2024.

Further, the 79th human study was published on May 20, 2024 showing fluoride is neurotoxic to the developing brain. A new (8/22/24) US government report says fluoride from all sources is linked to lower IQ in kids, reports Mike Stobbe of the Associated Press. By the way, the concentration of fluoride in water does not equate to an individual's total fluoride intake which shows fluoridation is unnecessary.

 Fluoridation neither reduced social inequalities in dental health, nor reduced the number of missing teeth, the LOTUS researchers report.

They write, “in high income countries, we may be reaching the limit of what can be achieved through fluorides alone.”  They suggest we look at diet, specifically sugar’s strong link to tooth decay.

Cavities are almost universal in adults exposed to fluoridated toothpaste and fluoridation from birth, they explain.

According to Dr. Staci Whitman, a dentist, underdiscussed reasons for tooth decay include deficiencies in vitamins A, D, K; calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and gluten sensitivity.

Many dentists are abandoning fluoridation promotion in favor of Silver Diamine Fluoride, a topical application which reduces tooth decay by 80% compared to fluoridation's 25%, according to a DrBicuspid.com article.  

Fluoride chemicals, added to public water supplies since 1945, was projected to massively decrease tooth decay, reduce disparities, save money, and put dentists out of business. But none of that occurred

A 2022 UK study of children (CATFISH study) reported fluoridation provided no clear benefits to 11-year-old's, and that disparities persisted.

It’s not just the UK. Studies from “Australia, the US, Sweden and South Korea have demonstrated inconsistent effects across age groups and/or absolute differences so small that whether they are meaningful is debatable,” the LOTUS researchers write.

In 2017, US researchers reported in the American Journal  of Public Health “Despite significant financial, training, and program investments [and decades of fluoridation], US children’s caries [cavities] experience and inequities continued to increase over the last 20 years.”

In July 2022, the State College Borough Water Authority in Pennsylvania, made up of scientifically trained professionals voted to reject fluoridation unanimously after members read the science and didn't just rely on outdated and unscientific endorsements.    They criticized fluoridationists who "misrepresented and discredited the scientific evidence," according to the Centre Daily Times. (Including that of Florida's Dr. Johnny Johnson, President of the American Fluoridation Society who works closely with the American Dental Association. Despite its 78% water fluoridation rate, "Floridians’ Oral Health Among the Worst in the Nation." 

Media & Gov't reports show fluoridation has failed  

It’s not from lack of fluoride. Federal statistics show that 70% of US children and adolescents are fluoride-overdosed, afflicted with dental fluorosis while 57% of adolescents still get tooth decay (65% of low-income adolescents) and 52% of toddlers, according to the CDC. 

Besides, fluoride is ubiquitous in our food supply, medicines, absorbed from dental products and more - making fluoridation money-wasting at least and health-robbing at worst. 

January 31 marked the beginning of a federal lawsuit against the US Environmental Protection Agency.    EPA is charged with ignoring hundreds of studies showing fluoride is neurotoxic. EPA currently sets safe levels of water fluoride contaminants  at levels to ostensibly protect only bones and teeth not brains, where fluoride also collects. More information about the lawsuit is here   

The Judge is set to make a ruling soon.  

Since the end of the trial, the 79th human study was published on May 20, 2024 showing fluoride is neurotoxic to the developing brain. The other 78 are here  And the aforementioned NTP Report was published. 

EPA acknowledges that fluoride is neurotoxic; but doesn't know at what level fluoride turns from a cavity preventer to a brain damaging chemical. 

New York State Communities which have stopped or rejected fluoridation are:  Suffolk, Nassau & Rockland counties, Elba, Naples, Levittown, Canton, Corning, Johnstown, Oneida, Carle Place, Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Riverhead, Rockville Center, Central Bridge Water District, Homer, Ithaca, Rouses Point, Pulaski, Romulus, Amsterdam, Walden, Glens Falls, Manhasset, Wilton Water and Sewer Authority, Yorktown, and Somers. 

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 

These municipalities recently stopped or rejected fluoridation

Clearfield, Pennsylvania but was pressured to re-start January 2025

Union County, North Carolina 

Orville, California (During the meeting, it was discussed that the city of Gridley, CA, also stopped fluoridation - in 2019)

Miles City, MT 

Wilton Water and Sewer Authority, NY. (the Board unanimously rejected pressure to start fluoridation)

Mansfield, Pennsylvania-

Norway, Michigan

Brooksville, Florida

Hotchkiss, Colorado

-Milford, and Dublin, Indiana

-Amery, Wisconsin

-Collier County, Florida 

Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District in Williamson County, Texas,

Branson, Missouri 11/16/2023

Lodi, Wisconsin

Marshall, Wisconsin

Sebring, Florida

Davis County, Utah

Thermopolis, Wyoming

Hillsboro, Oregon

Woodlawn, Tennessee

Stuart, Florida

Tavares, Florida

Port St. Lucie, Florida

Erwin Utilities, Tennessee

Deforest, Wisconsin

Palm Bay, Florida (officially stopped fluoridation 2025 although unofficially and unadvertised, fluoride wasn't added since 2017 because of equipment malfunction)

Melbourne, Florida 

Niceville, Florida: Jan 2025

Ormond Beach, Florida: Jan 2025

St. Lucie County, Florida, rescinded fluoridation requirement Jan 2025

Ft. Pierce Utilities Authority, Florida Jan 2025

Immokalee, Florida Jan 2025

Naples, Florida

Winter Haven, Florida November 2024

Live Oak, FL: Oct 2024

Perry, FL: Aug 2023 Starke, FL: Aug 2023

Lincoln County, NC January 2025

Lake Mary, Florida February 2025

Longwood, Florida February 2025

Hannibal, Missouri

DeForest, Wisconsin February 2025

Oviedo, Florida February 2025

Leesburg, Florida February 2025

Lakeland, Florida, March 2025

New Smyrna Beach, Florida, March 2025

Ormond Beach, Florida, March 2025

Albion, NY February 2025

Horicon, Wisconsin March 2025

Crystal River March 2025

A media outlet reached out to all 31 Florida utilities to report faulty equipment caused the following to stop adding fluoride chemicals into its water supplies: Manatee County, Gainesville, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, DeLand, and Cocoa February 2025

Several Wisconsin municipalities have decided to discontinue or avoid fluoride include Rock Springs, Lake Delton, St. Croix Falls, Hayward, Saukville, Montello, Shell Lake, Balsam Lake and Grantsburg

These 76 Wisconsin communities have taken fluoride out of the water

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More places that stopped fluoridation since 1990 are  here

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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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