Am Dent Assoc Admits: Fluoride of Concern to Kidney Patients

On June 19, 2008 the American Dental Association updated its website reporting that fluoride is a concern to all kidney patients, not just those on dialysis.

Along with false assurances of safety, fluoride chemicals are added to some public and bottled water in the unscientific belief it reduces cavities.

Fluoride-induced bone damage could occur in kidney patients who consume even "optimally" fluoridated water because malfunctioning kidneys do not properly sift fluoride from the blood and out of the body. Fluoride can build up in bones making them brittle and fracture

For this reason, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) withdrew its fluoridation endorsement in October 2007, which they made public in a fluoride paper dated April 15, 2008 with advice that “individuals with CKD [Chronic Kidney Disease] should be notified of the potential risk of fluoride exposure.”

After the 2006 National Research Council's (NRC) fluoride toxicology report was brought to their attention, the NKF withdrew its fluoridation endorsement.

The NRC fluoride report was created by a 12-member panel of scientists to review current fluoride toxicology data at the request of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine whether the maximum contaminant level goal (4 mg/L) of fluoride in public water supplies is safe. The NRC says that level must be lowered. But neither the NRC nor the EPA has defined a safe level.

At least three NRC panel members conclude that water fluoride levels should be close to zero, not only to protect kidney patients, but also thyroid patients, infants and high water drinkers

This would effectively shut down fluoridation in the U.S. But organized dentistry isn't going to let go of its pet project and diminish its political viability by admitting fluoridation is a failed experiment. So they downplay anything negative about fluoride and in this case they want you to know that fluoride is only a secondary concern. And, of course, this writer wants you to know that secondary doesn't mean no concern.

However, even the ADA seems to be covering their legal assets with this statement in their Fluoridation Facts booklet, “decreased fluoride removal may occur among persons with severely impaired kidney function who may not be on kidney dialysis.”

Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) claims that the CDC is "America's health protection leader." The CDC calls fluoridation one of the Ten Great Public Health Achievements of the last century. But, the CDC has not provided the fluoride/kidney toxiclogy information on their website. The CDC often follows the lead of the ADA concerning fluoride and fluoridation. So we'll be watching.

The CDC’s website still erroneously claims, “The findings of the NRC report are consistent with CDC’s assessment that water is safe and healthy at the levels used for water fluoridation (0.7–1.2 mg/L)”

The NRC reports “Early water fluoridation studies did not carefully assess changes in renal [kidney] function...Several investigators have shown that patients with impaired renal function, or on hemodialysis, tend to accumulate fluoride much more quickly than normal."

New York State Department of Health employee and dentist, Dr. J. Kumar received the ADA’s fluoridation award. With money and support from the CDC Kumar is promoting fluoridation in New York State by conducting fluoridation spokesperson training, among other activies.

Kumar is ignoring his own 1990 health department report published in Oral Biology and Medicine which concluded “The available data suggest that some individuals may experience hypersensitivity to fluoride-containing agents. Further studies on hypersensitivity are required" and "Studies on the effects of fluoride in individuals with renal insufficiency are needed."

That advice wasn’t heeded. Those studies were never conducted. But Kumar and the NYS Department of Health is using our tax money to push even more fluoride into us.

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