By Carol S. Kopf
Issue 107, July/August 2001
It just became easier to say "No thanks!" to fluoride supplements. Fluoride drops, tablets, and vitamins are more likely to damage children's teeth than to prevent cavities, according to mainstream dental groups such as the Canadian Dental Association and the Western Australia Health Department's Dental Service. Both organizations have stopped recommending regular fluoride supplementation.
Routinely prescribed to US children who don't drink fluoridated water (starting with toothless six month olds), fluoride supplements were never tested for safety and efficacy by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).1 These supplements are one category of many different medications the FDA officially "grandfathered" in, meaning they were sold before drug testing was required by law.
Current research shows that many of the old fluoride studies were flawed. Fluoride's benefits are merely topical, not systemic, as was once thought. Moreover, ingested fluoride can result in unwanted side effects, including dental fluorosis-spotted, stained, or pitted teeth.
Brian A. Burt of the University of Michigan School of Public Health states that, "Fluoride supplements should no longer be used for young children in North America...the risks of using supplements in infants and young children outweigh the benefits."2
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