The Fluoride Controversy: Dr. Mercola's Sensationalism Continues

[Todd Welch]

In the past I have written about the dangers of misinterpreting information from research articles or news sources, with even the Discovery Channels’ own author blowing things out of proportion. A
recent example is from Dr. Joseph Mercola, a physician turned internet health guru.

In Dr. Mercola's opening paragraph he says this: “A new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association finds once again that, contrary to what most people have
been told, fluoride is actually bad for teeth.”

Fortunately there is a link to the article listed in PubMed, which says something completely different: “Results suggest that prevalence of mild dental fluorosis could be reduced by avoiding ingestion of large quantities of fluoride from reconstituted powdered concentrate infant formula and fluoridated
dentifrice.”

What that article is actually saying is that if you are using too much fluoridated water for your infants formula, or if your toddler is squeezing the tube of toothpaste down their throat like its cupcake icing, it will cause
fluorosis.

So what is fluorosis? It’s a condition of the teeth which is caused by an increased amount of fluorapetite. This fluorapetite comes from ingested fluoride (not rinsing), and can cause white or brown stains on teeth. The condition is esthetic only, with these teeth having a greater ability to resist decay. While these stains are undesirable, saying
something is “bad for teeth” implies that the teeth are being damaged in
some way, as in the case with soda drinks or sucking on lemons. In the
dental field, it is important to balance the difference between
esthetics and health. I would never tell a patient with coffee stains on
his teeth that coffee is “bad” for him.

Dental Fluorisis

The problem is that the language Dr. Mercola uses is inflammatory, inciting fear commensurate with the rest of the article.

So what about his other claims, such as “Fluoride (no amount noted) causes bone fractures”? On a brief search of the PubMed database, I found an article saying that there is no conclusive evidence
for the long term effects of water fluoridation on the human skeleton.
It’s hard to tell what is true and what is speculation… or what is
sensationalism.

Fluoride seems to be one of the most controversial topics in America, and I’m sure that my thoughts here will prompt a few comments. But remember, just because it is on the internet doesn’t always mean
it is true. It’s important to keep in mind the source. PubMed is a
great start with thousands of peer-reviewed articles. The point is to
dig in, figure this out, do the homework, and formulate a solid
conclusion that will benefit my patients and my family. I welcome any
evidence you the reader might have to get to the real bottom of this
topic.

For more information contact Dr. Todd Welch with West Tennessee Periodontics and Dental Implants at www.wtnperioblog.com