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Fluoride Is Not Safe
Introduction
Fluoride has been known for its positive effects especially by the public. However, the specialists also know its bad qualities and negative effects. One of its major positive effects is that it makes the teeth strong and thus resistant to cavities. This is how fluoride has been used in toothpastes, mouthwashes and water for a very long time. Nevertheless, its negative effects cannot be ignored. Fluoride in water is the main cause of the dental problem known as fluorosis. It also increases ones chance of getting bone cancer, gene mutations, bone fluorosis, neurotoxity, and reproductive problems, amongst others. Due to such negative effects, many countries stopped using it in water two decades or more ago. However, there are countries that are still using it. The following annotated bibliography proves the credibility in the sources on the negative effects of fluoride.
Annotated Bibliography
Anderson, J., (February 1, 2011). Less Fluoride Recommended (Policy Brief). Pediatric News, 45 (2). Retrieved from http://www.pediatricnews.com/index.php?id=7791&cHash=071010&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=78273
In this article, Anderson tells of how the Human Health Service (HHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have joined forces in order to comply with the FDA policies of reducing the amount of chorine in water. This is because the department feels that enough is already found in toothpastes and the dental checkups administered regularly. These agencies had a target of reducing the amount of fluoride put in water from 0.7-1.2mg/L to 0.7mg/L. This change was to take effect from the spring of 2011.
As many specialists have recommended, there is no need of having fluoride in the water at all. The fluoride gotten from the other sources mentioned above is enough. In fact, some countries stopped using it some time back. It is too unfortunate that the country is still using it. As earlier indicated, it has other effects apart from causing fluorosis.
This article is of significance to this study as it confirms the federal’s intention of only reducing the amount of fluoride in water but not completely doing away with it despite the known risks and negative effects. Having been written by a known doctor in the field of pediatrics Dr. Jane Anderson, the information is credible and reliable. It also appears in the Pediatric News, a medical journal, which features peer-reviewed articles from all fields in medicine.
Basha, M. & Sujitha, N. (2011). Chronic Fluoride Toxicity and Myocardial Damage: Antioxidant Offered Protection in Second Generation Rats (Study). Toxicology International, 18, (2), 99-104. Retrieved from http://www.toxicologyinternational.com/article.asp?issn=0971-6580;year=2011;volume=18;issue=2;spage=99;epage=104;aulast=Basha
The article focuses on the myocardial damage in rats due to chronic fluoride intake, which leads to toxicity. Through a study, Basha and Sujitha affirm that fluoride has negative effects, which can cause damage to the major organs, heart damage, skeletal fluorosis and dental fluorosis amongst others. The writers further state that the biological membranes are critically injured due to the accumulation of oxidative damage. The accumulation of the oxidative damage is one of the main reasons that cause heart failures or the ischemic heart disease.
This article is significant to the study because the writers are from the department of zoology in BangaloreUniversity. The article is also peer-reviewed. The article study includes experimentation thus a concrete conclusion at the end of the article. The article also affirms, through the experiments conducted, the damage caused by fluoride on rats, which have the same metabolic systems as human beings.
Bryson C., (2004). The Fluoride Deception. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press.
In this book, Bryson tries to put across the insignificance of fluoride in water. He further mentions that the United States is one of the few nations that still use fluoride in water even in its low quantities. Bryson further affirms the negative consequences of using fluoride especially in water. Bryson states that fluoride is mostly used in the manufacturing of Sarin gas, enriching uranium and in the manufacturing of steel. When the people consume fluoride, they are not only receiving medication but also an overdose of it. The author further lists those firms in defense of the use of fluoride. Examples of such firms are U. S. Steel, Alcoa and DuPont. These firms defend it since fluoride is a business that brings in multi-millions not to mention the high profits.
This is a good book written by Christopher Bryson, who has reported for many major stations in the science news department. Such stations include Christian Science Monitor, BBC, and Discovery channel amongst others. With a foreword from Dr. Theo Colborn, the journalist writes an interesting book about fluoride’s negative effects. He also gives some of the reasons why the federal still allows its use in water. The book is significant to this study because it has been written by someone with a lot of experience in the Science world and it affirms the negative effects of fluoride and the key role players in its administration.
Connet P., Beck, J. & Micklem, H. S., (2010). The case against fluoride: How hazardous waste ended up in our drinking water and the bad science and powerful politics that keep it there.White River junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company.
In this book, the authors discuss the studies done on fluoride affirming that fluoride did not lower the rate at which people were getting cavities. The studies also show the toxic effects of fluoride in our bodies. Some of the health complications revealed and discussed in this book are ostosarcoma, hypothyroidism and impairment in mental development, amongst others. It is also stated that there is a fluoride hypersensitive reaction in one out of every a hundred people.
The authors of the books have attained a PhD, MD &PhD, and a DPhil respectively in the field of Science. This makes them credible enough to talk on such a topic. In-text citations have also been included in the book in order to give further evidence of the information given. The information given is directly related to the topic as it reveals the negative effects of fluoride on humans. It further gives studies that have confirmed this hypothesis.
Lexi-Pals Drug Guide, (2011). Fluoride Definition. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.yosemite.wbu.edu/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=105&sid=7ef6abfc-c582-4a08-a0a0-ea5bf7111d23%40sessionmgr111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=hxh&AN=31262592
This article shows the types of drugs and their use. In this guide, fluoride is stated as a drug that prevents teeth cavities and enhances the teeth’s resistance to decay. In addition, a list of fifty-six items with fluoride that are used on a regular basis is listed. The guide also states measures to be taken if an overdose of the drug is detected.
This source is significant as it gives a guide of the frequently used drugs and their effects on people. It also gives the measures to take when one feels that an overdose of a particular drug has been administered. Since fluoride is part of this information, it is also of significance to this study. Many people do not view fluoride as a drug. Hence, this can lead to its misuse and be fatal if the right measurements are not taken.
Groves, B.A., (2008). Fluoride: Drinking Ourselves to Death?New York, NY: Newleaf.
One of the main reasons fluoride has been put in water for all these years is because it has been known to protect the teeth against cavities and tooth decay. The book shows current researches done in order to determine the true effects of fluoride on the people’s health. Before these researches, the effects of fluoride were not taken seriously and a lot of research was not done on the component fluoride. The book gives a discussion of the studies done on fluoride that have proved its toxic and lethal effects on people.
The book is necessary to this study as it affirms the toxic effects of fluoride on people, especially when in water, a daily used commodity. The author of the book is a researcher who has written more books on different fields. The study is also significant as it adds more researches to the researches discussed by the other authors in the previous sources.
Kauffman, J. M., (2005). Water fluoridation: A review of recent research and actions. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, 10 (2), 38-44. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:oohZHrxQCzAJ:www.jpands.org/vol10no2/kauffman.pdf+Water+fluoridation:+A+review+of+recent+research+and+actions&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESj1Rk1lBxuaffiMHyELI398Texb26KEax9y7YAEzjiz-PcZxpheJ-xbjn-7JUjEEyIPwQSJVq0h44H91L2Ic-SkQs7QP2LeeSH9Hf86QHCSvIsfPvRejI_j1CqWs3bIgy9tD3Fa&sig=AHIEtbQ9f_6egQiFqNmiu1a-_-5KZ0qIiw&pli=1
This journal article gives a brief history of fluoride. The article continues and puts statistical information regarding the occurrence of cavities in people. As if in agreement with the previous writers, Dr. Kauffman agrees that fluoride should no longer be used in water due to its toxic effects. The writer further adds the fluoride been drunk currently in water has turned to be hexafluorosilicic and hexafluorosilicate acid and not calcium fluoride, which was formed earlier. Instead of making the teeth and the bones strong, these acids formed cause cancer, tooth and bone fractures.
This article is of essence to this study because it will supplement the study with the rich fluoride history it provides. The author has attained a PhD level in the science field and so the article written is from a credible person. The articles in this journal are also peer-reviewed thus making the source more credible.
The Story of Fluoridation, (25 March 2011). Institute of National Craniofacial Research. Retrieved from http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/Fluoride/TheStoryofFluoridation.htm
This source also contains a brief history of fluoride and the initial reasons of how it was put in water. The discussion starts with one of the earliest dentist, Dr. Fredrick McKay, who discovered the effects of fluoride on teeth. This is after he found residents of Colorado Springs having browned teeth. The doctor, with a co-worker, Dr. G. V. Black, also found out that the browned teeth were resistant to cavity and decay. This is the reason fluoride was adapted as a component to use in water in order to avoid tooth decay and cavities. They also found out that if it could be used in small quantities, chances of browning the teeth would be minimal.
The article is of significance as it allows one to get the history of fluoride and the reason for being used in water. It also gives more information on fluoride and its effects. The article is written by an institution that majors on craniofacial research. This makes it a credible source because of the amount of research carried out in that institution, the experience and the professionals involved. It also affirms the information provided by the other sources concerning the negative effects of fluoride and the recommendations of removing it from the water that is used for consumption.
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