Canada - ‘Precautionary stance’ advocated

In response to your Dec. 30 column, “Fluoridation helps prevent tooth decay”:
Water fluoridation is an important issue. Since my retirement as a health professional, studying factors related to the health benefits of water has been an area of interest.
I totally agree with you with respect to researching this controversial issue, that “the quality and reliability of the information presented must be high.” I looked into the report from the Expert Panel assembled by Health Canada in 2007 that you referred to in your column.

Following your advice to “start by considering the source,” I found that four of the six Expert Panel members were from the dental profession and long-time advocates of water fluoridation. One panel member’s article, published in 1989 in the Journal For Public Health Dentistry, was ironically titled, “A Win for Fluoridation in Squamish, B.C.” I have to question — was the panel’s advice to Health Canada objective and without bias?

Dentists are, unquestionably, experts in oral health and disease; however, diagnosing disease in the rest of the body is outside their purview and expertise of practice. Unlike applying fluoride topically — toothpaste or fluoride treatments — drinking water as a source exposes the whole body to fluoride.

I would expect that the panel would include a broad base of expertise to address all body systems. I question: Were the impacts of fluoride on the entire body adequately addressed with two-thirds of the panel being dentists?

The effects of chronic, low-dose fluoride exposure on the body have been described by scientists from the National Research Council’s landmark review on fluoride, a Nobel laureate in medicine, as well as dentists, medical doctors and leading researchers in the field. In my research I found an overview of their findings outlined in the 2009, 28-minute online video “Professional Perspectives on Water Fluoridation.”.......