Newsletter
NEW YORK, USA: The New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation (NYSCOF), an organization of physicians, dentists and other professionals that aims to inform the public about the possible harmful effects of fluoride, has warned that hidden fluoride in food could cause fluorosis in children's teeth. An assessment of the fluoride content of commercially available foods for infants found detectable amounts of fluoride in all the foods.
In the study, 20 different foods, including fruits and vegetables, chicken, turkey, beef, and vegetarian dinners, from three manufacturers were analyzed for their fluoride content. According to the study, foods containing mechanically deboned chicken had the highest mean levels of fluoride, followed by turkey products.
"Consuming more than one serving per day of the high fluoride concentration products in this study would place children over the recommended daily fluoride intake," the investigators said.
According to a report titled "Fluoride Toothpaste Use for Young Children," which was published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, a review undertaken by the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs demonstrated that, for children younger than 6 years of age, fluoride toothpaste use is effective in reducing caries. However, the evidence also showed that ingesting pea-sized amounts or more can lead to mild fluorosis. The council also modified its recommendations for fluoride supplement dosage from 2 to 3 years of age to reduce the risk of children developing dental fluorosis. According to the NYSCOF, excessive fluoride consumption during the first two years of life is associated with an increased risk of the condition.
On its website, the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), an organization that provides comprehensive information regarding all aspects of fluoride, states that the Food and Drug Administration has never approved a fluoride supplement as safe and effective. According to FAN, such supplements were designed to provide the daily equivalent of drinking an average amount of fluoridated water to children living in nonfluoridated areas. Nevertheless, fluoride supplements have been prescribed by dentists or pediatricians for millions of children for over 50 years. NYSCOF stated that caries-free children in fluoridated areas are not likely to benefit from topical fluorides.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that just under one-quarter of people aged 6–49 in the U.S. have some form of dental fluorosis. The prevalence is higher in adolescents than in adults and highest among those aged 12–15. In addition, the centers states that, in the U.S., water and processed beverages, such as soft drinks and fruit juices, can provide up to 75 percent of a person's fluoride intake.
The study, titled "Fluoride Content of Infant Foods," commissioned by the NYSCOF was published in the March–April issue of the General Dentistry journal.
