I once did a research paper on the effects of fluoride consumption on public health, and it does seem we would be much better off without it. Excessive fluoride intake from public water supplies can cause dental fluorosis, a medical condition which discolors the teeth, among numerous other health conditions, some of which I will list below. Numerous studies have proven that fluoride is only effective when applied topically to the teeth, and not when ingested.

Main health conditions caused by fluoride intake:
-Skeletal Fluorosis (aka "Bone Disease"), an arthritic skeletal disease
-IQ deficits in children
-Damage to cells and neurotransmitters in the brain of the developing fetus
-Central Nervous System disturbances among adults
-Impaired learning and memory functions in animal studies
-Direct toxic effects of fluoride on the brain
-Genetic damage
-Dental fluorosis (mentioned above), a commonly found (20%-80%) discoloring of the teeth, negating the assertion that fluoride ingestion has any real cosmetic dental benefits
-Increased teeth porosity, leading to pitting, chipping, fracturing, and decay of teeth (belying any reasonable amount of improved overall public tooth health)
-Pineal Gland calcification, causing depressed melatonin synthesis and altered timing of sexual maturity; the Pineal Gland contains the highest levels of fluoride in the entire human body
-Reduced fertility and semen potency
-Hypothyroidism (suppressed Thyroid Gland activity)


For more detailed information and countless studies on the effects of fluoride on public health, you may go to fluoridealert.org and click on the Health Effects Database link on the left. Note the .org; the American Dental Association redirects fluoridealert.com to their own website.


Mario92, it's not much of a conspiracy theory rather than a political battle. Public water fluoridation was in no way motivated by scientific studies on its health benefits. In any case, it's not the first time our government has used misinformation to fuel their own agenda. I am in no way a paranoid conspiracy theorist; I am simply an American citizen who chooses to inform myself (and others, sometimes) on public issues concerning myself and others.

"The EPA was pressured by supporters of fluoride, however well-meaning, and by states that would have to remove excess fluoride, to raise the standard to a level that now borders on unsafe, according to EPA's own scientific review. EPA's actions were not driven by science, but by political pressure from supporters of fluoride."
- Journal of the Academy of General Dentistry, February 1987