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Children's cavity rates are similar whether water is fluoridated or not, according to data published in the July 2009 Journal of the American Dental Association by dentist J.V. Kumar of the New York State Health Department. The data was from 30,000 children, first analysed in 1990. Kumar confirms the analysis of John Yiammouyanis, who showed then that there was no benefit from fluoridation. Errors in the official Government analysis at the time incorrectly claimed an 18% reduction in tooth decay from fluoridation; errors Yiammouyanis exposed.
“Fluoridation policy is constantly being shown up as ill-founded, supported by politics, not science” says Mark Atkin, Fluoride Action Network (NZ) co-representative on the Coalition for Fluoridation- free NZ, adding “All recent major studies show fluoridation is of no benefit. And an increasing number of studies show how dangerous it is to our health. This is why scientists and professionals are calling for a worldwide ban on fluoridation.” The same results (no benefit) were shown in 2004 by a well-conducted Australian study. Kumar has also conducted ongoing studies into (fluoridated) Newburgh and (unfluoridated) Kingston – one of the cornerstone original 1940s studies relied on to justify fluoridation. Kumar has consistently found no difference in tooth decay, but double the rate of dental fluorosis in fluoridated Newburgh. Dental fluorosis is a tooth enamel deformity caused by fluoride poisoning while the teeth are forming – generally up to age 4. The two latest NZ studies - Southland in 2005 and Auckland in 2008 – show the same results. 30% of fluoridated children have fluorosis compared with 15% unfluoridated, and their teeth have no less decay. And since fluoride finds its way into the food chain through food and soft drink made with fluoridated water, levels would be even lower in the unfluoridated communities if fluoridation were stopped. One of the biggest risks of fluorosis comes from using fluoridated water to make up baby formula. This was warned about in 2006, and warned about again in October 2009, by the American Dental Association. The risk is just as big in NZ as in the USA, as shown by the background report to the NZ standard for infant formula. Baby formula made with fluoridated water contains 250 times the level found in breast milk. “It is time to put an end to this unscientific, ineffective, unethical, medically unsound, and dangerous practice” concludes Mr. Atkin. |