FLUORIDE in Our Water

When you consume fluoride, what happens to your body?

Dr. Dickson explains that, once in the body this tiny aggressive ion crosses the gut barrier as well as the blood-brain barrier, it even crosses the placental barrier for pregnant women. Eventually it gets everywhere in the body. In terms of it getting out of out body, for adults our kidneys are able to filter out about 50% of the fluoride, but for kids their kidneys can only filter out about only 20%. That leaves the other 50% and 80% that will go into the bone and brain.

The fluoride that resides in the bone will build up over time making the bones thicker and weaker and the fluoride that resides in the brain will impact the neurological system.

Is there a safe amount of fluoride in the body?

Dr. Dickson believes there is not. He explains that the dosage in parts per million (ppm) keeps being reduced and reduced further but the real issue it that not everyone will be drinking the same amount of water. A small woman athlete drinking several glasses of water after a run, compared to a large grown man who is sitting at his desk and not drinking a lot of water will both be taking in different amounts of fluoride. Then he mentions that we also need to consider the toxic dose for an adult compared to a child compared to a baby compared to a fetus – this is where the issues lie.

What about the fluoride in our toothpaste?

Dr. Dickson mentions that any topical uses for fluoride should not be swallowed.

What about other places in the world?

Dr. Dickson explains that 95% of the world does not use fluoride in their water, 97% of Europe does not fluorinate the water.

Isn’t it good for the oral health of the underprivileged?

In fact, Dr. Dickson explains that there are a lot of other ways to do help the oral health of the underprivileged, and, if this actually helped the underprivileged he would be onboard. However, he tells us that it is really these groups of people that are more susceptible to the side effects of fluoridation.

What is Fluorosis?

Fluorosis is the first visible sign of fluoride overdose, the white and brown spots on the teeth, Dr. Dickson explains. He explains that the United States has more than 70% fluorinated water and over 50% of American teens experience fluorosis. Most fluorosis, he continues, is mild and doesn’t need to be treated, however, moderate and severe fluorosis can be very costly for the patient.

What are the potential systemic risks of consuming fluorinated water?

Dr. Dicksons tells us about the bioaccumulation of fluoride in our bodies as it can get into our system from a variety of places (i.e. drinks, processed foods, fruits and vegetables to keep them from ripening, etc). He explains the studies, by Canadian, American and Mexican researchers from 2017-2018 have been able to connect fluoride to neurotoxicity in children that effect the IQ and the thyroid.

At Maxwell Dental, we want to make sure you have all the information you need to make any decision that pertains to your oral and overall health, bringing in the experts to shed light on topics that are questioned in our office every day. We hope that you learned something from Dr. Bob Dicksons, because we know we did!

To learn more about fluoride and Dr. Bob Dickson before the hearing about fluorinating Calgary’s water on July 24th, visit safewatercalgary.com.