Fluoride Linked to Arthritis, Study Shows

A 52-year-old American (New York) man's arthritic-like joint pain and immobility went away after he stopped brushing his teeth with fluoridated toothpaste, according to a study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (1).

There's no scientific dispute that large fluoride doses cause crippling skeletal fluorosis over time. (See. http://www.nalgonda.org/fluorosis/victims.htm) But, "less well-known causes of chronic fluoride toxicity include fluoride supplements, certain teas and wine and some toothpastes," report researchers Kurland, et al. (1)

Skeletal fluorosis often results in abnormal bone hardening and thickening (osteosclerosis) with painful and impaired neck and spine mobility, spine curvature, and/or painful lower extremities ultimately causing crippling and incapacitation, report the researchers.

In this case, the only obvious fluoride exposure was toothpaste. The patient drank no fluoridated water, tea or wine; had no occupational fluoride exposure; did not chew tobacco, inhale snuff, cook with Teflon pots, use fluoridated mouthwash or get fluoride treatments at twice-yearly dentist visits. But he brushed before and after all meals (minimum 6 times daily) with fluoridated toothpaste.

Fluoride was elevated in his serum, urine and iliac crest (bone), the researchers report.

Within 8 months of eliminating all obvious fluoride sources, the patient's urinary and blood fluoride levels dropped and bone function markers showed clear cut improvement, the researchers report.

"By approximately two years after diagnosis and apparent elimination of excess fluoride exposure, the patient had complete resolution of his neck immobility and no longer required analgesics," the researchers write.

Roos, et al. documents a woman whose painful swollen fingers healed after she ceased eating fluoridated toothpaste.(2)

Whyte, et al. report a woman's fluoride-caused debilitating joint pains disappeared when her two-gallon-a-day iced tea habit stopped.(3)

Eichmiller, et al. report a patient's leg and joint pains from a dentist-prescribed high-concentration fluoride product.(4)

Osteoarthritis is linked to water fluoride in a Turkish study.(6)

A 2009 Brazilian study shows that, after brushing with a fluoridated dentifrice, a substantial amount of fluoride is ingested by children. (7)

"Fluoride at any level accumulates in the body," says Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. "So even water fluoridation will cause arthritic-like symptoms in susceptible individuals which is compounded by U.S. physicians'and dentists' lack of training to diagnose fluoride toxicity." (See: http://tinyurl.com/Susheela

"We know US schoolchildren are fluoride-overdosed (5). What's it doing to their bones?" asks Beeber.

More about skeletal fluorosis: http://www.fluoridealert.org/s-fluorosis.htm

and arthritis http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/bone/fluorosis/arthritis/

References:

1) Recovery From Skeletal Fluorosis (An Enigmatic, American Case). Journal of Bone Mineral Research. October 2, 2006, by Kurland, et a.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17014382&query_hl=3&itool=pubmed_docsum

(2) Osteofluorosis caused by excess use of toothpaste, Presse Med, 34:1518-20, by Roos et al November 2005

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16301964&query_hl=7&itool=pubmed_docsum

(3) Environ Health Perspect. 2005 August; 113(8): "Food Safety: A Tea-Time Mystery," by Michael Szpir

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1280381

(4) Journal of the American Dental Association, "Controlling the
fluoride dosage in a patient with compromised salivary function,"
Frederick C. Eichmiller, D.D.S.; Naomi Eidelman, Ph.D.; Clifton M.
Carey, PhD., Vol. 136, page 67 -70, January 2005
http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/full/136/1/67

NYSCOF News Release: http://tinyurl.com/mbrmd

(5) NYSCOF News release http://tinyurl.com/mbrmd about

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Office of
Communication, 8/25/05

(6) http://www.orgsites.com/ny/newyorkstatecoalitionopposedtofluoridation/_pgg7.php3

(7) Rev Esp Salud Publica 2009 May-Jun;83(3):415-25. [Demonstration of fluoride systemic absorption secondary to toothbrushing with fluoride dentifrice in children]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19701573?ordinalpos=1&itool=Email.EmailReport.Pubmed_ReportSelector.Pubmed_RVDocSum