Why I Changed my Mind About Water Fluoridation

Colquhoun, John

doi:10.1353/pbm.1997.0017

Cited by 40 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…It seems that in the era of a global caries decline, Newbruns ' [1989] thesis that 'caries rises if water fluoridation is stopped' is no longer generally valid. This conclusion clearly reintroduces the question of the cariesreducing efficacy of water fluoridation [Colquhoun, 1997].…”

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confidence: 73%

Caries Prevalence after Cessation of Water Fluoridation in La Salud, Cuba

Künzel

Fischer²

1999

Caries Res

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In the past, caries has usually increased after cessation of water fluoridation. More recently an opposite trend could be observed: DMFT remaining stable or even decreasing further. The aim of the present study conducted in La Salud (Province of Habana) in March 1997 was to analyse the current caries trend under the special climatic and nutritional conditions of the subtropical sugar island Cuba, following the cessation, in 1990, of water fluoridation (0.8 ppm F). Diagnostic evaluations were carried out using the same methods as in 1973 and 1982. Boys and girls aged 6–13 years (N = 414), lifelong residents in La Salud, were examined. Between 1973 and 1982 the mean DMFT had decreased by 71.4%, the mean DMFS by 73.3% and the percentage of caries–free children had increased from 26.3 to 61.6%. In 1997, following the cessation of drinking water fluoridation, in contrast to an expected rise in caries prevalence, DMFT and DMFS values remained at a low level for the 6– to 9–year–olds and appeared to decrease for the 10/11–year–olds (from 1.1 to 0.8) and DMFS (from 1.5 to 1.2). In the 12/13–year–olds, there was a significant decrease (DMFT from 2.1 to 1.1; DMFS from 3.1 to 1.5), while the percentage of caries–free children of this age group had increased from 4.8 (1973) and 33.3 (1982) up to 55.2%. A possible explanation for this unexpected finding and for the good oral health status of the children in La Salud is the effect of the school mouthrinsing programme, which has involved fortnightly mouthrinses with 0.2% NaF solutions (i.e. 15 times/year) since 1990.

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confidence: 73%

Caries Prevalence after Cessation of Water Fluoridation in La Salud, Cuba

Künzel

Fischer²

1999

Caries Res

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“…(17)(18)(19) Some interpret available scientific evidence to conclude that water fluoridation in the United States is no longer in the public's interest. (20) Fluoride, an abundant geologic mineral, is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and proximal intestine and becomes incorporated into calcified tissues. (21) Because the fluoride ion is similar in size and charge to the hydroxyl ion, the normal component of hydroxyapatite, it can substitute to form fluorapatite.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recovery From Skeletal Fluorosis (an Enigmatic, American Case)

Kurland

Schulman

Zerwekh

et al. 2007

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research

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A 52-year-old man presented with severe neck immobility and radiographic osteosclerosis. Elevated fluoride levels in serum, urine, and iliac crest bone revealed skeletal fluorosis. Nearly a decade of detailed follow-up documented considerable correction of the disorder after removal of the putative source of fluoride (toothpaste).Introduction: Skeletal fluorosis, a crippling bone disorder, is rare in the United States, but affects millions worldwide. There are no data regarding its reversibility. Materials and Methods: A white man presented in 1996 with neck immobility and worsening joint pains of 7-year duration. Radiographs revealed axial osteosclerosis. Bone markers were distinctly elevated. DXA of lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and distal one-third radius showed Z scores of +14.3, +6.6, and −0.6, respectively. Transiliac crest biopsy revealed cancellous volume 4.5 times the reference mean, cortical width 3.2 times the reference mean, osteoid thickness 25 times the reference mean, and wide and diffuse tetracycline uptake documenting osteomalacia. Tap and bottled water were negative for F. Surreptitious ingestion of toothpaste was the most plausible F source. Results: Monitoring for a decade showed that within 3 months of removal of F toothpaste, urine F dropped from 26 to 16 mg/liter (reference range: 0.2-1.1 mg/liter), to 3.9 at 14 months, and was normal (1.2 mg/liter) after 9 years. Serum F normalized within 8 months. Markers corrected by 14 months. Serum creatinine increased gradually from 1.0 (1997) to 1.3 mg/dl (2006; reference range: 0.5-1.4 mg/dl). Radiographs, after 9 years, showed decreased sclerosis of trabeculae and some decrease of sacrospinous ligament ossification. DXA, after 9 years, revealed 23.6% and 15.1% reduction in LS and FN BMD with Z scores of +9.3 and +4.8, respectively. Iliac crest, after 8.5 years, had normal osteoid surface and thickness with distinct double labels. Bone F, after 8.5 years, was 1.15% (reference range, <0.1), which was a 36% reduction (still 10 times the reference value). All arthralgias resolved within 2 years, and he never fractured, but new-onset nephrolithiasis occurred within 9 months and became a chronic problem. Conclusions: With removal of F exposure, skeletal fluorosis is reversible, but likely impacts for decades. Patients should be monitored for impending nephrolithiasis.

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“…There is vast literature on the benefits (Newbrun & Horowitz, 1999;Yeung, 2008) and risks (Colquhoun, 1997;Hirzy, 1999) of water fluoridation. A very credible comprehensive review concludes, in part: "Due to its insatiable appetite for calcium, fluorine and fluorides likely represent a form of chemistry that is incompatible with biological tissues and organ system functions.…”

Section: Expert Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Under-reporting of Adverse Events in the Biomedical Literature

Kostoff

2016

Journal of Data and Information Science

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Purpose: To address the under-reporting of research results, with emphasis on the underreporting/distorted reporting of adverse events in the biomedical research literature.Design/methodology/approach: A four-step approach is used: (1) To identify the characteristics of literature that make it adequate to support policy; (2) to show how each of these characteristics becomes degraded to make inadequate literature; (3) to identify incentives to prevent inadequate literature; and (4) to show policy implications of inadequate literature. Findings:This review has provided reasons for, and examples of, adverse health effects of myriad substances (1) being under-reported in the premiere biomedical literature, or (2) entering this literature in distorted form. Since there is no way to gauge the extent of this under/distorted-reporting, the quality and credibility of the 'premiere' biomedical literature is unknown. Therefore, any types of meta-analyses or scientometric analyses of this literature http://ir.las.ac.cn/handle/12502/8905 will have unknown quality and credibility. The most sophisticated scientometric analysis cannot compensate for a highly flawed database. Research limitations:The main limitation is in identifying examples of under-reporting. There are many incentives for under-reporting and few dis-incentives.Practical implications: Almost all research publications, addressing causes of disease, treatments for disease, diagnoses for disease, scientometrics of disease and health issues, and other aspects of healthcare, build upon previous healthcare-related research published. Many researchers will not have laboratories or other capabilities to replicate or validate the published research, and depend almost completely on the integrity of this literature. If the literature is distorted, then future research can be misguided, and health policy recommendations can be ineffective or worse. Originality/value:This review has examined a much wider range of technical and nontechnical causes for under-reporting of adverse events in the biomedical literature than previous studies.

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Why I Changed my Mind About Water Fluoridation

Cited by 40 publications

References 31 publications

Caries Prevalence after Cessation of Water Fluoridation in La Salud, Cuba

Caries Prevalence after Cessation of Water Fluoridation in La Salud, Cuba

Recovery From Skeletal Fluorosis (an Enigmatic, American Case)

Under-reporting of Adverse Events in the Biomedical Literature

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