[quote]jimbo8936 wrote:
flouride is a poison and does not prevent cavities. in fact flouride causes many health problems. please dont believe everything the govt feeds you.[/quote]
This is actually not true. TOPICAL flourides do strengthen enamel and help to prevent decay. However, it does not take the place of the three varients which are bacteria, carbohydrates and oral hygeine. That means, someone who gets topical fluoride treatments could still get cavities due to poor hygeine or out of control bacterial colonies. There is much debate, however, as far as toxicity in DRINKING WATER. First, understand that there is a difference between topical fluoride and systemic fluoride that results from ingestion.
Systemic fluoride, what you get from drinking water, helps the teeth during development. That means up until around the age that your “adult” teeth are formed in the bones of your jaws is where they exert their beneficial effect. The debate continues because there is little that shows SYSTEMIC fluoridation to help at all past that point. It would seem that TOPICAL applications, like those found in toothpaste or what you get at your dentist would provide the most benefit.
Another part of the debate involves the way that fluoride is introduced into the water supply (through the introduction of fluorine):
"The chemicals used to fluoridate 90% of public drinking water are industrial grade hazardous wastes captured in the air pollution-control scrubber systems of the phosphate fertilizer industry, called silicofluorides. (“Fluorine Recovery in the Fertilizer Industry - A Review,” Phosphorus & Potassium, No. 103, Sept/Oct 1979.) "
“Dr. John Colquhoun, Principal Dental Officer, in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, wrote " … tooth decay had declined, but there was virtually no difference in tooth decay rates between the fluoridated and non-fluoridated places. Those (statistics) for 1981 showed that in most Health Districts the percentage of 12- and 13-year-old children who were free of tooth decay ? that is, had perfect teeth ? was greater in the non fluoridated part of the district.”
This is significant by pointing out that the issue isn’t just fluoride treatment, but overall dental care.
1 part per million is considered optimal as far as Fluoride supplementation in drinking water according to the ADA (0.7-1.2 ppm). This article will help you understand how Fluoride supplementation is determined by your dentist based on the amount that a child receives…a chart is near the bottom of the page:
http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/fluoride_article01.asp
Greater amounts of SYSTEMIC fluoride can lead to fluorosis if this occurs while the teeth are forming (before they erupt into your mouth). This is diagnosed by a tooth discoloration mostly in the form of white streaks on the teeth but can be more drastic in extreme cases. The discoloring is permanent which presents another argument as far as whether it is needed SYSTEMICALLY in drinking water.
For your own education, NEVER rely on only one source for the info you believe and understand that there are web sites devoted to nothing but scare tactics. That doesn’t make everything they say true just like you should not believe EVERYTHING you read from anywhere.
Links:
http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/fluoride_article01.asp#nature
http://www.agd.org/consumer/topics/fluoride/main.html
http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/OralCare/OralHealthCenter/OralHygieneBasics.vsp
The bottom line is, yes, there is a debate as to whether we should allow our water to be fluoridated. The answer is also, yes, fluoride does help protect your teeth most noteably in topical applications. Is it a mind control plot bent on taking control of your mouth and your body? No.
As far as the original question of how some tribes do not get decay until they are Americanized, this has to do with the BACTERIAL component. The truth is, you would never get a cavity had your mother never nursed you and you had avoided contact with any humans where the bacteria are present. This is why those same tribes begin to get decay if presented with “civilized” cultures.