Expert: Stephen J. Moss - 3/1/2005

Question
I have a problem with you answering a question of a parent to continue to brush her 33 month old daughter's teeth with flouridated toothpaste. It is a fact that ingesting too much flouride over time can cause adverse health effects and yes her daughter ingesting the floruridated toothpaste with the flouride found in virtually all organic food and their tap water... WILL lead to flourosis in her daughter's teeth. Yes as you mentioned it may not be noticeable except by an "expert". I presume time will tell as her daughter's adult teeth rupture.

I beleive there is little information available to the public in regards to the actual dangers of flouride... it doesn't strike me in the least that dentists promote the use of flouride, considering they would be out of business if no one developed cavities, of course with a little help from their friend flouride. <smile>

I am still trying to understand how flouride varnish is safe at preventing tooth decay. Most information relates to the ingestion of flouride, but what about topically applied flouride, absorbed by the teeth and gums? If flouride is harmful over time through ingestion, wouldn't it be safe to presume that flouride applied directly to the tooth surface would erode the enamel, over time, in small quantities?

And you cannot tell me that flouride in any amount is safe considering there are no national guidlines on how many parts per million is safe to ingest. And how could one moniter how many parts per million is being ingested since flouride is in virtually everything we drink and ingest?

I am not trying to upset or offend anyone, or even to open "pandora's box". I am a concerned parent looking for some straight answers that are not readily available.  

Answer
Dear Diana,
There is a lot of passion in your question, and in my opinion a great deal of misinformation.  Your fear of fluoride is unfounded. No other public health measure has been studied as much or as often, and proclaimed safe by a many experts.  That may be our problem, one of in communication, who and what is an expert. There is a strong anti-fluoride movement around the world, and the opponents to flouride appear to make a lot of sense to individuals who don't have the scientific backround to fully understand all the parts of the story. If you are concerned I respect that , but you must choose who you want to use as your expert.

Regarding the safety of fluoride, I am not suprised that there are no guidlines on parts per million.  Fluoride is the 12th most common element on earth, it is in the vegetables, and fish you eat and in all the water you drink.

Sorry, that there isn't anything else that i can add to your concerns.
I know nothing about fluoride varnish that would cause me to be even mildly concerned.

Sincerely,
DR SJM OSS