Expert

This month, the American Dental Association (ADA) sent an email alert to ADA members stating fluoridated water should

not be mixed into infant formula or added to foods intended for babies 1 year of age or younger.  This is a complete reversal of the ADA’s previous position that stated infants and children should consume fluoride in order to strengthen developing teeth.  Fluoridated bottled water is available throughout the United States containing instructions for use with infant formula.

Times Have Changed
Why is the ADA changing their stance on fluoridated water?  As it turns out, mixing fluoridated water with powdered or liquid concentrate infant formula allows infants to receive excess amounts of fluoride leading to the susceptibility of enamel fluorosis.  Fluorosis is a condition affecting an infant’s not-yet-developed teeth characterized by pitting, yellow, white, and or brown spots.   The ADA reversed their position after reviewing evidence published by the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, which uncovered several studies showing a direct link to fluoridated water and enamel fluorosis in infants.  As of October 14^th, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration declared that fluoridated water marketed to infants could no longer claim to reduce the risk of cavities.

Why Fluoridate

Today, nearly two-thirds of the US water supply has added fluoride.  Fluoridating water began over 50 years ago, due to an accidental discovery.  People from a few specific areas in the US who drank naturally fluoridated water had significantly less dental caries than the rest of the US; thus the advent of water fluoridation.  Fluoride works to prevent tooth decay in several ways.  Protecting teeth as they develop, fluoride bonds with the tooth enamel making teeth more resistant to decay and bacteria, as well as repairing the earliest stages of tooth decay.  Research conducted over the past 50 years has found that water fluoridation is a safe effective, and low cost way to reduce tooth decay.
 

Fluoride and Infants

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has shown through research that fluoride is absorbed topically through tooth enamel. This topical absorption is why fluoride is added to toothpaste and mouthwashes. Yet for infants who are teething or toddlers developing teeth, it appears too much too soon can cause adverse reactions.   The Environmental Protection Agency has stated water suited for infants should have fluoride levels near zero.  According to this month’s Mothering Magazine, fluoride can act as a neurotoxin in infants and may be linked to other health issues such as weakened bones and reduced thyroid activity.  It is important to note no studies have been conducted to prove these claims.

What you can do

Breast milk contains 200 times less fluoride than infant formula made with fluoridated water.  Breastfeeding your baby can help prevent fluoride toxicity in infants.  If you are using an infant formula, use only non-fluoridated water to reconstitute powdered or concentrated formulas. Examples of fluoride free bottled water include “purified, demineralized, deionized, distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water″. Many grocery stores sell these types of drinking water for less than $1 per gallon.  Another option is purchasing ready to drink infant formulas to avoid the need for adding water.

Here are a few tips to monitor fluoride intake of your toddler or young child:

• Contact your local city water department to learn about the fluoride levels in your water
• If your city’s fluoride level is greater than 2ppm (parts per million), the CDC recommends finding an alternate source of drinking water for children under 8 to reduce the risk of dental fluorosis
• Do not use fluoridated toothpaste for children under 2 years of age
• Talk with your dentist about fluoride intake and your toddler: if your dentist suggests fluoride supplements for your child, ask why and discuss the use of a fluoride mouth rinse instead
• Use only a pea sized amount of toothpaste for children under they age of 6 as they cannot adequately spit out toothpaste
• Supervise children under the age of 8 while brushing teeth
• Choose organic baby food and organic fruits and vegetables when possible: The US National Organic Program does not allow the use of pesticides that leave fluoride residues
• Limit the consumption of soft drinks as they are made with fluoridated water

Resources:

New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation 

American Dental Association

Centers for Disease Control 

Tags: flouride

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 29th, 2007 at 5:02 pm and is filed under Baby Safety. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.