1. Humans don’t need fluoride to have good teeth.

2. Fluoridation is unnecessary. Most Western European countries are not fluoridated and they have experienced the same decline in dental decay as the U.S. where a majority of cities are fluoridated.

3. Fluoridation’s role in the decline of tooth decay is in serious doubt.

4. Where fluoridation has been discontinued in communities in Canada and other countries, dental decay has not increased but actually decreased.

5. Dental crises were reported to have occurred in U.S. cities where fluoride has been added to drinking water for over 20 years; Tooth decay is more correlated with income than fluoride levels in water.

6. A decline in tooth decay had been already seen before fluoridation was introduced; Some studies suggested increased levels of fluoride in drinking water was associated with elevated risk of tooth decay.

7. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledges findings by many leading dental researchers that fluoride does not have to be ingested to have a protective effect, which is topical, but not systemic. Since swallowing fluoride is unnecessary, no reason exists to force people (against their will) to drink fluoride in their water supply.

8. The FDA has never approved any fluoride product designed for ingestion as safe or effective.

9. Fluoridation does not help reduce dental decay rates.  A major survey has found 30 percent of children in fluoridated areas had dental fluorosis on at least two teeth while the purpose of fluoridation is to limit the rate below 10 percent.

10. While fluoride is a known risk factor for dental fluorisis, other factors also affect the dental condition.

11. The level of fluoride put into drinking water at 1 ppm is not what nature intended. Fluoride presented in mother’s milk is 200 times lower than 1 ppm.  No benefits but only risks come from this level of fluoride.

12. Fluoride is a cumulative poison, and only 50 percent of this mineral ingested daily can be excreted through the kidneys.

13. Fluoride actively interferes with hydrogen bonding and inhibits a great number of enzymes.

14. Together with aluminum, fluoride interferes with G-proteins leading to further interference with many hormonal and some neurochemical signals.

15. Fluoride is mutagenic and can damage DNA and interfere with enzymes that help DNA repairs.

16. Fluoride can form complexes with other metals or minerals causing a variety of problems.

17. Animal studies show exposure to 1 ppm of fluoride in the form of sodium fluoride or aluminum fluoride in drinking water for a year resulted in morphological changes in kidneys and brains of rats, increased uptake of toxic metal aluminum in the brain and the formation of beta-amyloid deposits, which increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

18. Aluminum fluoride used to fluoridate water is toxic to the brain; the U.S. government recommended this chemical should be tested for its toxicity.

19. Fluoride accumulates in the brain and alters mental behavior in a manner like a neurotoxin.

20. Five studies in China revealed fluoride exposure was linked lower IQ in children.

21. Fluoride also accumulates in the pineal gland to a very high level and reduces melatonin production and leads to an early onset of puberty.

22. Fluoride was prescribed in Europe to patients with hyperthyroidism. Water fluoridation essentially forces people to use a thyroid-depressing drug. The Department of Health and Human Services reported fluoride exposure in fluoridated communities is estimated at the range of 1.6 to 6.6 mg per day, which covers the dose range from 2.3 to 4.5 mg per day that decreases the thyroid functions.

23. Some early symptoms of skeletal fluorosis, which is caused by fluoride, mimic the symptoms of arthritis, a fact that leads to misdiagnosis of skeletal fluorosis.  Because of this, incidence of skeletal fluorosis can be underestimated.

24. High doses of fluoride up to 26 mg per day were tried to treat people with osteoporosis in hopes that their bones can be hardened and fracture rates can be reduced.  Exposure to such high levels, in fact, increased the rate of fractures, particularly hip fractures.  The level of exposure can be easily reached in people who live in fluoridated areas during their lifetime.

25. Many studies have linked exposure of fluoride with increased risk of fractures, particularly hip fractures, which are serious health problems.

Read the next 25 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation.

Photo by flickr user Pink Sherbet photgraphy