And you thought I was going to skip out again! A little late, but always great! The flouride discussion continues:
When several regions in the former East Germany halted the artificial fluoridation of their water, they braced themselves for an expected rise in dental caries (cavities). However, as it turns out, they needn't have worried at all, since dental decay rates actually WENT DOWN.
Although this outcome would seem contrary to commonly held beliefs, researchers hypothesize that the broader availability and application of preventive measures such as fluoride toothpaste, as well as improvements in attitudes towards oral health behavior.
According to researchers, following the cessation of public water fluoridation, " ... a significant fall in caries prevalence was observed. This trend corresponded to the national caries decline and appeared to be a new population-wide phenomenon."
In other words, cavity rates are coming down throughout Germany, irrelevant to whether or not the water is fluoridated.
Researchers studied more than 15,000 children in the formerly fluoridated German towns of Spremberg and Zittau.
Children had been examined repeatedly over the last 20 years.
Caries levels for 12-year-old children significantly decreased during the years 1993 through 1996.
DMFT fell from 2.36 to 1.45 (38.5%) in Spremberg and from 2.47 to 1.96 (20.6%) in Zittau.
According to the study, the results provide " ... further support for the contention that caries prevalence may continue to fall after the reduction of fluoride concentration in the water supply from about 1 ppm to below 0.2 ppm F."
The authors not that similar findings have been reported following the removal of fluoridation programs in the towns of Chemnitz and Plauen.
They also note that the average DMFT of 1.81 for the 12-year-old children in the 4 fluoride-free towns " ... is the lowest observed in East Germany during the past 40 years".
Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology October 2000; 28: 382-9
The use of professional dental applications of fluoride may not be providing any benefit to children, even though they are widely used and generally accepted to reduce the rate of tooth decay.
This study evaluated the association between this practice and the number of cavities. The data from over 15,000 children and for treatment provided by over 1,500 different dentists, were analyzed.
The researchers followed-up with the children for a period averaging over 5 years. No difference in tooth decay rates were seen for "baby" or permanent teeth.
The authors note that there are already numerous recommendations that professionally applied topical fluorides should be used only in children with moderate to high rates of decay.
However, they question whether these guidelines are being followed, considering the fact that approximately two-thirds of the children in the study received topical fluoride at every recall visit, nearly two times per year.
J Public Health Dent 2000; 60: 33-8
Hmmmmm very interesting...
Showing posts with label Fluoride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fluoride. Show all posts
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Fluoride in the Water
I have to gather my thoughts on this and will give it my all later today, as for now the laundry and children beckon, read on this research and let me know what you think! FLUORIDE!!!!!
Water Fluoridation & Tooth Decay :
1) The addition of fluoride to water for the purpose of preventing tooth decay began in the 1940s with the belief that fluoride's primary benefit came from ingestion of fluoride during the tooth-forming years. It is now acknowledged by the dental research community, however, that fluoride's primary benefit comes from topical contact with teeth, and not from ingestion as previously assumed. It is also now acknowledged that fluoride is ineffective at preventing tooth decay in the pits & fissures of teeth - where the majority of decay occurs.
2) It is well recognized that tooth decay rates declined quite dramatically in all western countries in the latter half of the 20th century - irrespective of whether the country fluoridated its water or not. Today, tooth decay rates thoughout continental western Europe - where 98% of the population does not drink fluoridated water - are as low as the tooth decay rates in the United States, where a majority of the population drinks fluoridated water.
3) Within countries that fluoridate their water, recent large-scale surveys of dental health - utilizing modern scientific methods not employed in the early surveys from the 1930s-1950s - have found little difference in tooth decay , including "baby bottle tooth decay", between fluoridated and unfluoridated communities.
4) The largest dental survey ever conducted in the United States, by the National Institute of Dental Research in 1986-87, found no difference in Decayed, Missing & Filled Teeth, and a minimal difference in Decayed, Missing & Filled Surfaces among children who had lived their entire lives in a fluoridated or unfluoridated community.
5) Since 2000, four studies have reported that tooth decay does not increase, but continues to decrease, after water fluoridation is stopped.
6) Water fluoridation is often promoted as a means of preventing dental crises within low-income populations. It is becoming evident, however, that water fluoridation has been ineffective at preventing widespread tooth decay in poor urban areas of the United States - most of which have been fluoridated for 20 to 50 years.
Article on the web.
Water Fluoridation & Tooth Decay :
1) The addition of fluoride to water for the purpose of preventing tooth decay began in the 1940s with the belief that fluoride's primary benefit came from ingestion of fluoride during the tooth-forming years. It is now acknowledged by the dental research community, however, that fluoride's primary benefit comes from topical contact with teeth, and not from ingestion as previously assumed. It is also now acknowledged that fluoride is ineffective at preventing tooth decay in the pits & fissures of teeth - where the majority of decay occurs.
2) It is well recognized that tooth decay rates declined quite dramatically in all western countries in the latter half of the 20th century - irrespective of whether the country fluoridated its water or not. Today, tooth decay rates thoughout continental western Europe - where 98% of the population does not drink fluoridated water - are as low as the tooth decay rates in the United States, where a majority of the population drinks fluoridated water.
3) Within countries that fluoridate their water, recent large-scale surveys of dental health - utilizing modern scientific methods not employed in the early surveys from the 1930s-1950s - have found little difference in tooth decay , including "baby bottle tooth decay", between fluoridated and unfluoridated communities.
4) The largest dental survey ever conducted in the United States, by the National Institute of Dental Research in 1986-87, found no difference in Decayed, Missing & Filled Teeth, and a minimal difference in Decayed, Missing & Filled Surfaces among children who had lived their entire lives in a fluoridated or unfluoridated community.
5) Since 2000, four studies have reported that tooth decay does not increase, but continues to decrease, after water fluoridation is stopped.
6) Water fluoridation is often promoted as a means of preventing dental crises within low-income populations. It is becoming evident, however, that water fluoridation has been ineffective at preventing widespread tooth decay in poor urban areas of the United States - most of which have been fluoridated for 20 to 50 years.
Article on the web.
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