The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued an important warning about a product found in nearly everyone’s medicine cabinet—toothpaste.
Most toothpastes contain fluoride, which is known to be toxic.
And according to the CDC, 40% of children between the ages of 3-6 are using way too much toothpaste.
Making this matter worse, kids often swallow toothpaste while brushing.
The CDC and American Dental Association (ADA) recommend using no more than a pea-sized amount for children between the ages of 3-6, while those younger than 3 should use no more than that of a rice grain.
This makes sense when considering the warning label on every tube of fluoride toothpaste:
“If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately.”
Fluoride has been shown to cause significant systemic harm when ingested, which is part of the reason for the CDC’s new warning against using too much toothpaste.
As reported by the Chicago Sun Times:
Brushing with too much toothpaste can damage enamel, as children could swallow too much fluoride while their teeth are developing, the CDC says. This can cause dental fluorosis, white marks and discoloration of teeth.”
According to research presented at the April 2017 National Oral Health Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 57 percent of youth between the ages of 6 and 19 have dental fluorosis, a condition where tooth enamel becomes progressively discolored and mottled.
But is tooth discoloration just the tip of the iceberg? Does it signal a bigger problem happening inside the body?
For example, evidence shows that fluoride is an endocrine disruptor that can affect your bones, brain, thyroid gland, pineal gland, and even your blood sugar level.
Importantly, fluoride is a known neurotoxin shown to lower the IQ in children when taken in very high doses.
As you might expect, the CDC’s latest warning has mobilized groups that also oppose fluoride in public drinking water.
However, because there has been a major drop in overall oral decay since fluoride has been included in public water, fluoridation supporters point to this as a major reason to continue the practice.
But some people wonder why adding it to public water is necessary when high doses of fluoride is toxic and it is already in most toothpastes.
The main reason fluoride was first added to water was because it seemed to prevent tooth decay, especially in children.
However, this was argued against in 1989 by Dr. John A. Yiamouyiannis, who was a biochemist and self-proclaimed expert on the biological effects of fluoride.
As the most ardent opponent of fluoridation for 20 years, he was able to obtain survey data from the National Institute of Dental Research under the Freedom of Information Act.
The NIDR’s research had looked for dental cavities in 39,207 school children aged 5 to 17 from 84 different geographical areas during the 1986-87 school year.
Using that survey data, Yiamouyiannis’ analysis concluded that children who lived in areas of the U.S. where the water contained fluoride had tooth decay rates nearly identical to those who lived in nonfluorinated areas.
The addition to fluoride in public drinking water began in the 1940s when dentists noticed that those living in cities with naturally high levels of fluoride in its water had less tooth decay.
And because bad teeth were one reason why someone would be disqualified from serving during World War II, there was a heightened interest to improve oral health.
Interestingly, the majority of Europe does not fluoridate its water and has seen the same drop in dental problems as the U.S. where 90% of our public water does contain fluoride.
