While dental groups and individual dentists claim this report has nothing to do with fluoridation, the following has occurred because the NRC report has everything to do with fluoridation (the addition of fluoride chemicals into public water supplies attempting to reduce tooth decay).

Both the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cited the NRC report when they advised that fluoridated water should not be used to make infant formula.

The National Kidney Foundation, citing the NRC report, withdrew its support of fluoridation and replaced it with this warning:"Individuals with CKD [Chronic Kidney Disease] should be notified of the potential risk of fluoride exposure."

A January 2008 Scientific American article reported that after 3 years of scrutinizing hundreds of studies, the NRC expert panel "concluded that fluoride can subtly alter endocrine function, especially in the thyroid - the gland that produces hormones regulating growth and metabolism," reports its author Dan Fagin.

Fagin quotes John Doull, professor emeritus of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, who chaired the NRC expert panel: "The thyroid changes do worry me."

"Many Americans are exposed to fluoride in the ranges associated with thyroid effects, especially for people with iodine deficiency,"- said Kathleen Thiessen, PhD, co-author of the government-sponsored NRC report. "The recent decline in iodine intake in the U.S could contribute to increased toxicity of fluoride for some individuals,"- says Thiessen. She and at least two other panel members publicly call for an end to water fluoridation.

"A low level of thyroid hormone can increase the risk of cardiac disease, high cholesterol, depression and, in pregnant woman, decreased intelligence of offspring,"- said Thiessen.

A meta-analysis of fluoride/IQ studies e-published 8/10/08 "found a consistent and strong association between the exposure to fluoride and low IQ ( published in Biological Trace Element Research el al.).

An Institute for Children's Environmental Health report published February 2008 and revised July 2008 said "The primary question remains as to whether exposures to fluoride via multiple routes of exposure, from drinking water, food and dental-care products, may result in a high enough cumulative exposure to contribute to developmental effects"-emerging science suggests we need to further study the dose at which fluoridation may increase risks of neurodevelopment disorders, cancer and skeletal or dental fluorosis, particularly for sensitive individuals."

Over 1,800 professionals signed a statement urging Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted.. See: http://www.fluorideaction.org/statement.august.2007.html

An Online Action Petition to Congress in support of the Professionals' Statement is available on the Fluoride Action Network's web site, http://congress.fluorideaction.net and over 13,000 individuals have signed so far.

Organized dentistry and many individual dentists in government and in private practice continue to promote fluoridation and ignore and/or lie about this scientific NRC report.

Their actions are beneficial to corporations who financially support dental unions such as the American Dental Association and its state constituent groups. Fluoride product manufacturers have made the American Dental Association one of the richest and politically powerful lobbying groups in the country and one which often crafts laws that benefit dentists.

Because of the ADA's money and power, most dentists make three times as much as physicians while working fewer hours and days doing less critical work. They are the rich "guys" contributing to political coffers in cities and towns across America. However, 80% of dentists refuse to treat Medicaid patients and 108 million Americans don't have dental insurance. People in America are dying from untreated tooth decay.

Fluoridation gives legislators a false fact (that it's safe and effective) to fall back upon when asked why they support water fluoridation. The truth is legislators support the American Dental Association and the fluoride producing corporations who shore up political campaigns to get them re-elected. In return, they pass laws favorable to dentists.

The New York Times reported how the NY Dental Society, in effect, buys laws that benefit themselves. (July 16, 2008 editorial "Dental Decay in Albany"-)