Consider this: If we as physicians were to prescribe to patients we know nothing about, including their age, medical history, physical status, disease state, immune system viability or tolerance for medicines, a medically active, unproven and vaguely sanctioned drug at uncontrolled doses and tell them to take as much as they want for the rest of their lives while not monitoring the side effects, how long would we be practicing medicine before our licenses were revoked? The answer, of course, is not for very long. Unfortunately, many North Americans are unaware that this is exactly what is happening when they sanction spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars each year to add the volatile toxin hydrofluosilicic acid to our otherwise decent drinking water.

Also unfortunate is the deferring to and recanting of the official party line on fluoride, the blindly and oft repeated mantra that fluoride helps kids, especially poor kids. Many professionals still reiterate the misleading statistics that caries have been reduced by up to 75% since fluoride was introduced. Can you spot the disconnect here? Yes, caries have decreased by up to 75% in the past 50 or so years since the first extremely flawed studies promoting fluoride were introduced but the incidence of caries in Europe which is 99% non-fluoridated, and in British Columbia which remains fluorosilicic acid free in more than 95% of its communities, has also decreased by the same or even more. Is it possible that the impressive reduction in caries is not at all connected to fluoride in our drinking water but to a much healthier diet for children, regular brushing and flossing of teeth and much superior and more accessible dental care for all, particularly kids?

Is fluoride side effect free? Absolutely not! Many good scientific studies show an increased incidence of hip fractures because of fluoride ingestion as well as strong associations with thyroid problems (look at the vast number of patients in our western world on thyroid supplementation), adverse effects on the pineal gland, neurological sequelae such as deleterious effects on learning and intelligence, and association with several cancers. Indeed, higher doses of fluoride were used in Europe not too many decades ago to treat overactive thyroid glands.

However, the most obvious and noticeable deleterious effect of fluoride is that of fluorosis. Over 40% of children in fluoridated areas are showing signs of fluorosis, and the old mantra of this side effect being “only cosmetic” is being rapidly abandoned, even by the most ardent promoters of fluoride. Those who have touted in the past the monetary savings of fluoride by reducing the need for cavity repair are now admitting that the cost of repairing teeth damaged by fluorosis has far outstripped any possible savings and the gap is rapidly widening. Say goodbye to the economic argument for fluoride. Also, promoters of this drug agree that what we see in the enamel we also see in our skeletal bones. Therefore, mottling, pitting and infrastructure destruction that is visible in our enamel is also occurring in all the bones in our bodies.

Most people are not aware that hydrofluosilicic acid is a volatile substance that is scrubbed out of smokestacks of the fertilizer and aluminum industries. This chemical, not approved in North America for administration to humans, also contains traces of lead, cadmium and arsenic. Less than a teaspoon of hydrofluosilicic acid will kill an adult. Where would the fertilizer industry dispose of such a volatile chemical, and how many multiples of millions of dollars would this process cost if they were not able to dispose of it for considerable profit in our drinking water? A better case can be made for the softer and more palatable sodium fluoride we find in our toothpaste and in dentists’ offices. Indeed, the topical administration of fluoride is the only possibly safe, effective and ethical way to utilize this drug.

Our natural fluoride comes from our mountain rivers in the form of calcium fluoride. In many cities, we have either 0.2 or 0.3 PPM (parts per million) in our river systems. An interesting development occurred last year in Canada when the esteemed Canadian Pediatric Society issued its guidelines and forcefully stated that the maximum amount of fluoride that a child should consume in drinking water was 0.3 PPM. That would, of course, make the addition of hydrofluosilicic acid in most public water systems not only redundant but also dangerous for our children, particularly because we already consume fluoride in many of our foods and other liquids. However, the strong arms of the powers that be quickly pressured the society to alter its recommendations and guidelines and toe the line. Illegal, no. Unethical, most certainly. Reminds one of similar stories in our recent past, in particular those of thalidomide, hexavalent chromium (rent the movie “Erin Brockavich”), lead in our gasoline and paints (recommended level of lead has recently been downgraded to 0 PPM), asbestos and the latest controversy surrounding hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women.

Many dentists won’t let fluoride through their front door. What are we doing blindly allowing it’s volatile distant cousin, hydrofluosilicic acid, to be dumped in our public drinking water?

Dr. Jim Beck is a retired biophysicist and researcher from the University of Calgary.

Dr. Bob Dickson is a practicing family physician in Calgary who deals with the deleterious effects of fluoride in his patient population.