Fluoride Quiz

from Emily Kalweit

Take this quiz and find out what you really know about fluoridation.

1. The fluoride compound that will be added to our drinking water is: a) calcium fluoride, a fluoride compound which occurs naturally in drinking water,b) pharmaceutical or food grade fluoride,c) hydrofluorosilicic acid, a toxic-waste byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry containing contaminants of lead and arsenic.
2. In a recent congressional investigation of fluoridation, the US Environmental Protection Agency reported that the number of animal or human studies performed on hydrofluorosilicic acid, the substance used in Seattle's fluoridation program, is: a) 3000 studies b) 19 studies c) 0 studies
3. An increasing number of peer-reviewed studies are linking fluoride accumulation in the body to: a) impaired brain function resulting in behavioral problems and reduced IQ b) thyroid disease and bone cancer c) higher levels of lead in children's blood
4. According to the Centers for Disease Control and the Journal of the American Dental Association, fluoride's benefit comes from: a) swallowing it (systemic exposure) b) applying it directly to the tooth surface (topical exposure) c) equal topical and systemic exposure
5. A University of Washington statewide survey of approximately 2,900 children found that dental decay rates: a) have increased in fluoridated areas b) have decreased in fluoridated areas c) are about the same in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas
6. According to the Food and Drug Administration, fluoride ingested to reduce tooth decay is under FDA regulation and: a) is a drug the agency has not yet reviewed or approved as safe or effective b) is an approved drug c) is not really a drug
7. Which of these foods can contribute to children's overexposure to fluoride? a) many fruit juices and sodas b) raisins, citrus fruit, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes c) many kinds of processed cereals, milk
8. Excessive fluoride exposure can: a) cause lower back pain and thickening of connective tissue b) inhibit production of insulin, seratonin, melatonin, and thyroxin c) cause dental fluorosis, a permanent scarring of tooth enamel

Answers: 1) C; 2) C; 3) A, B & C; 4) B; 5) C; 6) A; 7) A, B & C; 8) A, B & C

For more information, go to: www.fluoridealert.org, www.keepers-of-the-well.org and www.earthisland.org/eijournal/fluoride/fluoride_index.html

References:
1) " Fluorine recovery in the fertilizer industry--a review," by H.F.J. Denzinger, H.J. Konig and G.E.W. Kruger, Phosphorous & Potassium, Sept./Oct. 1979 No. 103, pp. 33-39
2) Response dated 6/23/99 from the US EPA to the US House of Representatives Committee on Science. Link to excerpt: www.keepers-of-the-well.org/product_pdfs/EPA_response_6.99.pdfLink to full document: www.keepers-of-the-well.org/gov_resp_pdfs/EPAresponse1.pdf
3) www.keepers-of-the-well.org/determination/CSDW_ref.pdf
4) "Recommendations for Using Fluoride to Prevent and Control Dental Caries in the United States," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), Vol 50, No RR14;1 08/17/2001, p. 3, 4; Link: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/RR/RR5014.pdfFor an overview of the literature regarding topical versus systemic exposure, link to: www.keepers-of-the-well.org/effectiveness_pdfs/Topical_vs_Systemic.pdf
5) The Washington State Children's Dental Health Survey, University of Washington Clinical Dental Research Center, Technical Report No. 9502, Aug 1995, pp. 19 & 24. www.clarkmichael.com/nofluoride/oldsite/efstats.htm
6) Response dated 12/21/00 from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the US House of Representatives Committee on Science. Link to full document: www.keepers-of-the-well.org/gov_resp_pdfs/fda_response.pdf
7) www.fluoridealert.org/f-sources.htm#IV
8) www.keepers-of-the-well.org/determination/CSDW_ref.pdf

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