5 ms·

So, does it turn out that all those nut jobs who ignored science and claimed that putting a neurotoxin in the water supply was a bad thing might have had a poin

So, does it turn out that all those nut jobs who ignored science and claimed that putting a neurotoxin in the water supply was a bad thing might have had a point?

nabla9 8y ago
More public utilities remove naturally occurring fluoride from the water so that it stays below the WHO suggested safe levels 0.5 to 1.5 mg/L.
yayana 8y ago
The paper doesn't actually argue a linear relationship and seems to show .8 mg/L might be ideal, which is the lower part of the current range. But I think you would need a much larger study of people exposed to the recommended range to see if lower is always better.
linedash 8y ago
No; it turned out that bad studies produce not very useful statistics. Others in this thread have already indicated why this study doesn't help with much. Unfortunately it will just give the anti-fluoride crowd ammunition.
- bobthechef 8y ago
  Why don't Europeans fluoridate?
  - kurthr 8y ago
    Because they have working public health systems? Actually, I think it's a pretty personal and difficult question to answer that's unlikely to be uniform across Europe. Perhaps it's because they drink more tea and coffee which themselves have high fluoride levels (~3-5x fluoridated water levels in the US? http://fluoridealert.org/issues/sources/tea/ http://fluoridealert.org/issues/sources/tea/
  - nabla9 8y ago
    Because they ad fluoride to salt (or sometimes in milk). In some places they remove naturally occurring fluoride from the water until it reaches what the WHO considers safe.
drewbuschhorn 8y ago
I've never understood this view. Do you think all the other educated people who look at this issue are thinking "haha, more doop in the water to poison everyone!"? I personally always choose the highest fluoride toothpaste I can, because the benefits of reduced tooth issues make up for a (if you believe this paper and their pointillism graph) 1.2 pt iq drop. It always makes me sad how many people think that just because some group is making a decision that affects them, that group is out to get them. And, before someone says it, no, I'm not opposed to these studies being done occasionally for the sake of conventional wisdom being wrong, but people shouldn't try to make hay off a non-effect.
- alexandercrohde 8y ago
  I think people are upset (perhaps now rigthly) that fluoride was added to public water supplies and most toothpaste. It's one thing for you to be able to seek out toothpaste. It's another for it to be pushed on everybody.
  - drewbuschhorn 8y ago
    Isn't that the cost of using a public good? I might not like that the municipality cleans waste out of the water (not having it could lead to allergies, right?) or traffic lights (because what if I have to get somewhere fast in an emergency?), but that's the price I pay for living on the grid.
  - tehwebguy 8y ago
    Finally seeing the Squidbillies episode from 2010 in real life
Alex3917 8y ago
Was the anti-fluoride movement ever not based on scientific studies?
- bobthechef 8y ago
  I remember reading that arguments for fluoridation are rather weak and that fluorosis of the bones is common.

So, does it turn out that all those nut jobs who ignored science and claimed that putting a neurotoxin in the water supply was a bad thing might have had a point?

nabla9 8y ago

More public utilities remove naturally occurring fluoride from the water so that it stays below the WHO suggested safe levels 0.5 to 1.5 mg/L.

yayana 8y ago

The paper doesn't actually argue a linear relationship and seems to show .8 mg/L might be ideal, which is the lower part of the current range. But I think you would need a much larger study of people exposed to the recommended range to see if lower is always better.

linedash 8y ago

No; it turned out that bad studies produce not very useful statistics. Others in this thread have already indicated why this study doesn't help with much. Unfortunately it will just give the anti-fluoride crowd ammunition.

bobthechef 8y ago
Why don't Europeans fluoridate?
- kurthr 8y ago
  Because they have working public health systems? Actually, I think it's a pretty personal and difficult question to answer that's unlikely to be uniform across Europe. Perhaps it's because they drink more tea and coffee which themselves have high fluoride levels (~3-5x fluoridated water levels in the US? http://fluoridealert.org/issues/sources/tea/ http://fluoridealert.org/issues/sources/tea/
- nabla9 8y ago
  Because they ad fluoride to salt (or sometimes in milk). In some places they remove naturally occurring fluoride from the water until it reaches what the WHO considers safe.

drewbuschhorn 8y ago

I've never understood this view. Do you think all the other educated people who look at this issue are thinking "haha, more doop in the water to poison everyone!"? I personally always choose the highest fluoride toothpaste I can, because the benefits of reduced tooth issues make up for a (if you believe this paper and their pointillism graph) 1.2 pt iq drop. It always makes me sad how many people think that just because some group is making a decision that affects them, that group is out to get them. And, before someone says it, no, I'm not opposed to these studies being done occasionally for the sake of conventional wisdom being wrong, but people shouldn't try to make hay off a non-effect.

alexandercrohde 8y ago
I think people are upset (perhaps now rigthly) that fluoride was added to public water supplies and most toothpaste. It's one thing for you to be able to seek out toothpaste. It's another for it to be pushed on everybody.
- drewbuschhorn 8y ago
  Isn't that the cost of using a public good? I might not like that the municipality cleans waste out of the water (not having it could lead to allergies, right?) or traffic lights (because what if I have to get somewhere fast in an emergency?), but that's the price I pay for living on the grid.
- tehwebguy 8y ago
  Finally seeing the Squidbillies episode from 2010 in real life

Alex3917 8y ago

Was the anti-fluoride movement ever not based on scientific studies?

bobthechef 8y ago
I remember reading that arguments for fluoridation are rather weak and that fluorosis of the bones is common.