What reduces cavities, food or flouride?

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 04 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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From New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation (USA)

Cavities occur in sixty-percent of U.S. preschool children, and more often in the poorly nourished, according to the January 2004 Journal of the American Dental Association(1).

Those skipping breakfast and fruits and vegetables have more cavities, according to researchers, Dye et al.

Because skipped breakfast is associated with higher caloric intake, poor nutrient intake and obesity, Dye and colleagues used skipped daily breakfast as an indicator of poor nutrition along with not eating required 5 fruits and vegetables daily.

Over sixty years ago, dental researcher Weston Price examined various countries' inhabitants and their diets and reported that bad teeth and health are linked to poor diet(2).

'In their zeal to promote fluoride, dentistry, ignoring diet, may have helped create a billion-dollar toothpaste industry while enabling an appalling tooth decay national epidemic(3) to fester and grow like the unfilled cavities in Medicaid patients who are often refused dental treatment(4),' says lawyer Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation (NYSCOF).

Federal statistics back up the poor health/more tooth loss association, regardless of fluoridation levels.

For example, 87% of West Virginians drink fluoridated water(5); yet, they are the most toothless in the country(6). West Virginia is also one of the least healthy states for heart disease(7) and diabetes(8a,b), two diet-related diseases.

Conversely, in Utah, where only 2.8% of water supplies are fluoridated, residents lose the fewest teeth in the country due to decay and gum disease.

Utah ranks as one of the best in state health rankings by United Health Foundation(7) and are least likely to develop heart disease - a measure of obesity, hypertension and sedentary lifestyle. Utah is also one of four states with the lowest diabetes rate(8).

Despite excellent dental health, fluoridation, costing over $4.5 million(9a), is being forced on more Utahans while low-income families with the most dental needs are neglected(9b).

Fluoridation failed Kentucky, too(12a,b).

'Obviously, the public is being sold a 'bill-of-goods' by the fluoridation promoters,' says Beeber.

The Centers for Disease Control asserts that fluoridated water saves from $7 to $42 in dental care for every fluoridation dollar spent(10).

However, after decades of water fluoridation, virtually all Americans consume a fluoridated food and/or water supply. Yet, 'dental spending outpaces economic growth, continuing a trend,' reports the American Dental Association(11)

New York State is 70% fluoridated but two very populous counties, Nassau and Suffolk (Long Island) are totally fluoridation free. In New York State 18.3%, lost 6 or more teeth due to decay or gum disease(13a) while only 16.2% of Long Islanders did.(13b)

New York City is 100% fluoridated, yet 20.9% of Brooklyn(14a) and 19.9% of Queens(14b) residents lost six or more teeth, more than non-fluoridated Long Island and partially fluoridated New York State.

Past news releases show that New York City poor children have more tooth decay than the national average.(15a,b)

Actually, dental crises appear in many fluoridated cities. (See: Cavity Crises In Fluoridated Cities http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof2/_pgg5.php3)

Contact: Paul Beeber, Esq., nyscof@aol.com http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

References:

(1) 'The relationship between healthful eating practices and dental caries in children aged 2-5 years in the United States, 1988-1994,' Journal of the American Dental Association, January 2004
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/jada/

(2) 'Nutrition and Physical Degeneration,' by Weston Price
http://www.westonaprice.org/book_reviews/nutrition_physical.html

(3) First Ever U.S. Surgeon General's report on Oral Health
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/news/052500.asp

(4) 'Low-income families have limited access to dentists,' American Public Health Association, The Nation's Health
http://www.apha.org/journal/nation/dentalexcl1200.htm

(5) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 'Percentage of State Population Served by Public Water Systems Receiving Fluoridated Water?2002,'
http://www2a.cdc.gov/nccdphp/doh/synopses/WaterFluoridationV.asp?Year=2002&sort=2

(6) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Prevalence Data, Oral health - 2002; Lost 6 or more teeth due to decay or gum disease
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/list.asp?cat=OH&yr=2002&qkey=6605&state=US

(7) 'State Health Rankings 2002,' United Health Foundation
http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/shr2002/components/outcomes/HeartDisease.html

(8a) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 'State-specific Estimates of Diagnosed Diabetes Among Adults,'
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/state/f6dt2002.htm

(8b) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 'State-specific Estimates of Diagnosed Diabetes Among Adults,'
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/state/table16.htm

(9a) 'On the up & up Fluoridation costs much higher than health department estimate,' Tuesday, January 13, 2004, Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau, by Matthew Flitton
http://www.standard.net/standard/search_bykey.html (Sign-up required)

(9b) 'Filling a Big Cavity,' The Salt Lake Tribune, January 29, 2004, Editorial
http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Jan/01292004/opinion/opinion.asp

(10) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 'Preventing Dental Caries,'
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/pe_factsheets/pe_oh.htm

(11) 'Dental spending outpaces economic growth, continuing a trend,' January 19, 2004, ADA News
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/current.asp

12a) 'State's poor dental health part of larger problem,' by William Allen, February 1, 2004, Courier-Journal,
http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/02/01ky/wir-front-tooth0201-12144.html

12b) More Teeth Lost as Fluoride Use Increases
http://www.suite101.com/print_article.cfm/11749/103747

13a) http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/display.asp?cat=OH&yr=2002&qkey=6605&state=NY

13b) http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss-smart/MMSARiskChart.asp?yr=2002&MMSA=83&cat=OH&qkey=6605&grp=0

14a) http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss-smart/MMSACtyRiskChart.asp?
MMSA=61&yr2=2002&qkey=6605&CtyCode=91&cat=OH#OH

14b) http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss-smart/MMSACtyRiskChart.asp?MMSA=61&yr2=2002&qkey=6605&CtyCode=92&cat=OH#OH

15a) http://www.enn.com/direct/display-release.asp?objid=D1D1364E000000F3733F2C0618E21B27

15b) http://www.enn.com/direct/display-release.asp?objid=D1D1364E000000F31139E7E76C7308FB

For more information, contact:

Paul S. Beeber
President & General Counsel
New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation
PO Box 263
Old Bethpage, NY 11804 (USA)
nyscof@aol.com