Is Fluoride Toxic?

One of my co-workers brought this chain mail to my attention

DOLLAR STORES---BEWARE!!!! READ LABEL!!!!

> I don't know if any of you watched the news last night, but they did an investigation on dollar stores (including Dollar Tree,). They discovered  Crest, Colgate and other brand name toothpastes weren't the same as from Wal-mart, grocery stores etc. The toothpastes were manufactured in many  other  countries and are not approved by the American Dental Association (ADA). 

There  was even some from South Africa and the fluoride is ten times stronger than  what  we're allowed in the U.S. (prescription strength). They're allowed stronger  because they don't have fluoridated water (like we do). So if we (or our kids) use it often and occasionally swallow it, we could be poisoning ourselves.

The dollar stores declined to comment and a full investigation has begun. So stick to paying full-price at the grocery store and send this e-mail to anyone who shops at dollar stores.

Fluoride - Not really healthy for anyone.

When I worked for an aluminum ompany, I found out it was a byproduct from the manufacturing of Aluminum (and other things like fertilizer).

It is used in Dental products to fill the pores in your teeth. It helps keep the bad things out of those pores that cause cavities.

It is considered a poison.

Okay, this is the deal...

Bacteria digest sugar in the food particles left in your mouth. One byproduct of the bacteria is acid. Teeth are largely composed of calcium and acid dissolves calcium quite easily. Just pour some acid on limestone (Calcium Carbonate) and you can see how easily the limestone is dissolved (http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vwlessons/lessons/Slideshow/Serocks/Sedrock6.html). Fluoride forms a stronger chemical bond than calcium; hence, it offers much better protection.

There is a huge debate about Fluorinated water. Clearly, high concentrates of Fluoride, just like anything else, tend to be toxic. The National Cancer Institute says that Fluoridated water at a concentration of 1 PPM is both beneficial and does not cause cancer (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/fluoridated-water). The Center for Disease Control has a very nice FAQ on the matter at http://www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/waterfluoridation/faqs.htm. Others think fluoridation: lowers IQ, causes cancer, changes bone structure and strength, causes birth defects and perinatal deaths, has been proven ineffective, impairs the immune system, causes acute adverse reaction, causes initial stage of skeletal Flourosis, causes osteoarthritis, increases lead and arsenic exposure, causes permanent disfiguration of children's teeth, inhibits key enzymes, suppresses Thyroid function, causes a large number of acute poisonings, etc. (http://www.holisticmed.com/fluoride/).

Personally, I think the study the CDC commissioned says it best: too much fluoride is bad (2 - 4 ppm), while 1.2 ppm or less is beneficial. As far as http://www.holisticmed.com/fluoride/ is concerned . . . I think they are NUTS!

In a situation like this common sense works best--don't swallow the toothpaste!