Discussions regarding effects of fluoride on children continue

PESHTIGO – Some researchers suggest the dosage in fluoridated water contributes to health and behavioral issues for young children. In general, children who don’t weigh as much as adults are prescribed smaller dosages of drugs than the adult dose, yet fluoride levels in water don’t fluctuate. As a result, an infant on a liquid diet based on fluoridated water might be consuming unsafe fluoride levels, experts said.

“We do not need fluoride in the water. The benefits it has been touted to provide are either hyper-inflated or nonexistent. It’s a poison in the biological sense,” Craig Janssen, a Green Bay dentist, said, “Our government is the criminal in this.”

“Unfortunately, we have people out there who will say fluoride is an essential nutrient. My response is, ‘Can you tell me what the signs of deficiency are?’ You’ll get silence. There is no such thing as fluoride deficiency syndrome,” he said.

While most dentists adhere to the American Dental Association’s recommendations for fluoride use and support community fluoridation, Janssen is willing to stand apart from the association on this issue. “The general population has to rise to the occasion, just like the people did in Peshtigo. They have to say, ‘We don’t want this. We have concerns,’” he said.

The growing body of fluoride research is keeping epidemiologists like Dr. Ashley Malin, an assistant professor at University of Florida, busy. But, the ADA said it remains “staunchly in support” of community water fluoridation at optimal levels to help prevent tooth decay.

“You want to find that level of intake that doesn’t cause fluorosis but prevents cavities. The concern for a more precise amount of fluoride intake is that under-8 level, and it’s specifically because of fluorosis,” said Dr. Charlotte Lewis, an attending physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital who the American Academy of Pediatrics referred a reporter to. Symptoms of dental fluorosis are discolored or mottled teeth and are a sign that too much fluoride was consumed.

“We know there is a level at which adverse health effects occur,” Lewis said, “We believe seven parts per million is safe in pregnancy, safe in infancy – safe in cradle to grave.”

Conversely, Malin said babies were better off not consuming fluoridated water.
“I would recommend using fluoride-free water for infants,” she said, “Distilled water shouldn’t contain fluoride unless the company has added fluoride to it after distillation.”

Research linking fluoride in infants with lower IQ includes an analysis of 27 studies examined in 2012, Malin said, “In the last several months, a lot of new information has come out. It could be a matter of time for people to review it and digest it.”

Among the most recent U.S. research is a study Malin led, suggesting fluoride’s effects on young children extend beyond IQ to behavioral issues. It was too recent to be included in the 19 studies the National Toxicology Program examined, Malin said. The research is based on a Los Angeles cohort of 229 mother-child pairs, some of whom were exposed to fluoride at a higher level than the others. It found three-year-olds who were exposed to 0.68 mg/liter more fluoride than others were more likely to have anxiety and emotional reactivity such as “temper tantrums that are more than what would be typical for a three-year-old,” she said.

One hurdle many U.S. researchers face is a lack of research on nonfluoridated communities.

While many people who live in unincorporated towns in Northeast Wisconsin consume water from private wells that isn’t fluoridated, Lacanne said she doesn’t consider local municipal fluoridation levels when treating patients.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the daily adequate intake level for fluoride varies by age. For infants up to six months old, 0.01 mg is adequate, and for babies 7-12 months of age, 0.05 mg is an adequate level shown to reduce dental cavities without side effects, such as fluorosis, according to NIH.

The levels for infants compare with 0.7 mg/liter for one- to three-year-olds, and 1 mg/liter for four- to eight-years-olds. While NIH said 3 mg/liter is adequate for most teenagers, others argue it’s too high because fluoride accumulates in the body.

“In adults, about 50% of absorbed fluoride is retained in the body, with all but 1% stored in bones and teeth,” NIH said, citing the Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. “The other 50% is excreted in urine. In young children, up to 80% of absorbed fluoride is retained because more is taken up by bones and teeth than in adults,” NIH said.

While some nursery labels state they contain no added fluoride, bottled waters aren’t required to label their fluoride content. Most foods don’t include fluoride on their product labels, either.

This has prompted many consumers to seek out bottled spring water because it generally contains less fluoride.

Blue Triton LLC, a bottled water company offering Poland Springs spring water and other natural spring water brands, includes fluoride levels on its website because many consumers want information on what’s in the water they’re buying, according to a quality specialist for the company. “For natural spring water, it’s non-detected,” she said, referring to fluoride.

Some purified bottled waters use reverse osmosis to filter out fluoride and contaminants.

While Lewis, who testified on behalf of the EPA in the Food and Water Watch v. EPA case, disagrees with the new research and continues to recommend fluoride for its cavity-fighting effects, she understands the challenge the EPA faces in determining at what level fluoride becomes an unreasonable health hazard.

“It’s hard because we do not know how much fluoride an individual gets from various non-tap water sources,” Lewis said.