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Overview
In mid-December 2007, Scientific American Digital posted an article entitled “Second Thoughts about Fluoride  ,”1 which will be featured in the January 2008 issue of Scientific American. As a service to member dentists and their patients, Science in the News presents a brief overview of the article to facilitate any patient-provider discussions related to the article, the use of fluoride, and community water fluoridation.
Overall, the Scientific American article presents a selected review of water fluoridation’s history and research, including recent studies that have been addressed by Science in the News and other ADA resources (see bulleted links below). The article also outlines the complexity of evaluating individual factors in fluoridation research and assessing total fluoride intake, such as dietary factors, toothbrushing habits, and variable water fluoridation levels.
Two studies cited in the Scientific American article have been addressed in detail by Science in the News, including:
In brief, the NRC report was not an evaluation of the safety or effectiveness of water fluoridation at the community level. Instead, it provided a periodic examination of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) existing standards for the maximum allowable concentration of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water [well above the optimal fluoride levels (0.7 to 1.2 ppm) established by the U.S. Public Health Service more than 40 years ago for caries prevention]. This report is currently under review by the EPA.
Also referenced in the Scientific American article is the Iowa Fluoride Study, a long-term evaluation of fluoride exposure, nutrition and oral hygiene in a cohort of infants recruited from Iowa hospitals in the early-to-mid 1990s. This longitudinal investigation is being conducted by the University of Iowa, and findings from the study have appeared in JADA, most recently in 2006 and 2007 .
The ADA closely monitors emerging research related to the safety and effectiveness of the use of fluoride and water fluoridation, and welcomes further study of solid methodological quality. For more information, visit the Fluoride and Fluoridation page at ADA.org and Science in the News for a recent evaluation of the impact of community water fluoridation in the Pacific Northwest.
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Footnotes
1 Fagin D. Second thoughts about fluoride. Scientific American, January 2008, 74-81.
Excerpt available at: http://www.sciamdigital.com/index.cfm?fa=Products.ViewIssuePreview
&ARTICLEID_CHAR=C28F6C79-3048-8A5E-106DD3FDEE157BCB .
Accessed December 18, 2007.
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Additional Resources
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Science in the News is a service by the American Dental Association (ADA) to present current information about science topics in the news. The ADA is a professional association of dentists committed to the public's oral health, ethics, science and professional advancement; leading a unified profession through initiatives in advocacy, education, research and the development of standards. As a science-based organization, the ADA's evaluation of the scientific evidence may change as more information becomes available. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Page Posted December 2007
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