Flashback to a few weeks ago when RFK's anti-water-floridation stance was once again in the news and countless people were ready to go to bat for him: "No, he's just removing the mandatory health experiment of fluoride in the water. If you want to go out and get fluoride supplements nobody will stop you".
Give it a few more weeks, and it will be banned from toothpastes too.
And then the goal posts will move again and people will defend it: “Well at least he’s not trying to ban toothpaste itself! Get a grip, libs!”
And then when he bans toothpaste: “You can get the topical treatment and a cleaning from the dentist if you want it so badly. Stop worrying so much!”
And then when he bans the topical treatment at the dentist: “It’s a logical move. Look, it’s not like he’s jailing dentists. You can still waste your money visiting your dentist if you think it’s going to help your teeth, LOL!”
I think there is anger at the left for oppression during COVID. Many rules. Irrationality. Save 1 COVID death, cause 2 suicides from isolation, raped the economy, as a price, was it worth it? Resentment towards the medical establishment as heavy-handed and out of touch with common sense. Trump ascension now, as before, is the realization of this unheard anger and resentment, something he seems to be brilliant at connecting with. Thusly it's not about, "is this rational or not". It's not rational. It's anger, it's payback. Main point is the left, the party of compassion, ought to re-evaluate whether it's compassionate towards all parties in all contexts. Same for medicine.
Although you are downvoted, there is a point; I wonder how many products are created just to be used as waste management when creating other products from oil
Fluoride topically applied to teeth is to put back fluoride that has been leeched out of the enamel. Swallowed fluoride is needed to make the enamel in the first place. I'm not sure how helpful it is to adults, but kids certainly need it.
This is completely incorrect. Fluoride is not a component of native enamel, nor is it recognized as an essential nutrient in any way.
Topically-applied fluoride converts hydroxyapatite in enamel into hydroxyfluorapatite, a harder substance that resists bacterial decay. It has no benefits for the rest of your body, and when intake becomes excessive it can interfere with skeletal development and cause brittle bones.
Fluoride belongs on your teeth, not in your stomach.
we moved to a rural area in 2005 with clean, but unfluoridated well water. had a son. brushes twice daily for 2 minutes a time like everyone else in the house.
he had an excessive amount of cavities and the dentist did not use any supplementation. This was painful and unnecessary for my son (we stopped using that dentist when it was clear this isn't 'normal').
i realize this is n=1. but apparently calgary [0] also realized this was having an opposite effect as well. (yes i realize this is slightly different than supplementation in the parent article but the supplementation would have saved my kid from unnecessary cavities.)
absolutely. but i think there's at least some evidence that lack of appropriate fluoridation is beneficial. certainly in my anecdotal example (ofc, i didn't grow up in this town and every town in the US has wildly different fluoride levels in the municipal water systems).
Had to look this up because I got the impression that they banned flouride for toothpaste and mouthwash too, this is not the case obviously. The recent FDA move targets prescription fluoride supplements that are swallowed, such as tablets and drops.
I see no reason to ban those even if you have strong reservations about fluoride in the water supply. Since this administration rarely functions on logic I expect they'll move to banning the toothpaste, mouthwash and the topical treatments in dental offices since this will be treated more like some kind of vindictive holy war rather than an attempt to improve public health in any rational manner.
I grew up drinking well water, and had an ever-growing mouthful of cavities. In junior high I had more teeth with fillings than without. That mercifully ended when the dentist prescribed daily fluoride tablets for me and my brother.
Anyone who thinks banning fluoride is a good idea, you don't have a single clue what you're talking about. Not one.
It feels as though we are on the path toward the government endorsing essential oils, homeopathy, psychics and Ouija Boards. All because one person perceives “science” as a political opponent.
I have little doubt that by the time this is over, they’ll be teaching public school kids that WiFi causes cancer, the earth is flat, psychic powers work, vibrating crystals can cure diseases, the moon landings were fake, and professional wrestling is real.
I actually miss the GOP of the 90s, who just wanted to teach that the Earth was 6000 years old and that Jesus rode dinosaurs.
Do you feel the same way about European countries who don't add fluoride to water? Do you think we should consume shampoo and soap because it's beneficial when used topically?
That exact strain of provincial European quackiness is how you get homeopathy and alternative medicines covered under public health insurance and paid for by tax dollars in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, etc.
At least France grappled with it ~5 years ago and removed it IIRC. Still being debated in Germany.
Is that person RFK because it isn't Trump. Trump doesn't give a shit about science, he cares about support. That's why Democrat castoffs (RFK after being antivax was no longer a left wing position and Gabbard for having the audacity to oppose the Clinton machine) found a home under his tent.
Politically, those were great moves. He was able to pull outsider figures from the center-left away from the party that had tripled down on party loyalists.
Flashback to a few weeks ago when RFK's anti-water-floridation stance was once again in the news and countless people were ready to go to bat for him: "No, he's just removing the mandatory health experiment of fluoride in the water. If you want to go out and get fluoride supplements nobody will stop you".
Give it a few more weeks, and it will be banned from toothpastes too.
And then the goal posts will move again and people will defend it: “Well at least he’s not trying to ban toothpaste itself! Get a grip, libs!”
And then when he bans toothpaste: “You can get the topical treatment and a cleaning from the dentist if you want it so badly. Stop worrying so much!”
And then when he bans the topical treatment at the dentist: “It’s a logical move. Look, it’s not like he’s jailing dentists. You can still waste your money visiting your dentist if you think it’s going to help your teeth, LOL!”
I think there is anger at the left for oppression during COVID. Many rules. Irrationality. Save 1 COVID death, cause 2 suicides from isolation, raped the economy, as a price, was it worth it? Resentment towards the medical establishment as heavy-handed and out of touch with common sense. Trump ascension now, as before, is the realization of this unheard anger and resentment, something he seems to be brilliant at connecting with. Thusly it's not about, "is this rational or not". It's not rational. It's anger, it's payback. Main point is the left, the party of compassion, ought to re-evaluate whether it's compassionate towards all parties in all contexts. Same for medicine.
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I was under the impression that in general you want Fluoride to be topically applied to teeth, and not swallowed. Perhaps I was misinformed.
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Although you are downvoted, there is a point; I wonder how many products are created just to be used as waste management when creating other products from oil
4 replies →
Fluoride topically applied to teeth is to put back fluoride that has been leeched out of the enamel. Swallowed fluoride is needed to make the enamel in the first place. I'm not sure how helpful it is to adults, but kids certainly need it.
This is completely incorrect. Fluoride is not a component of native enamel, nor is it recognized as an essential nutrient in any way.
Topically-applied fluoride converts hydroxyapatite in enamel into hydroxyfluorapatite, a harder substance that resists bacterial decay. It has no benefits for the rest of your body, and when intake becomes excessive it can interfere with skeletal development and cause brittle bones.
Fluoride belongs on your teeth, not in your stomach.
7 replies →
we moved to a rural area in 2005 with clean, but unfluoridated well water. had a son. brushes twice daily for 2 minutes a time like everyone else in the house.
he had an excessive amount of cavities and the dentist did not use any supplementation. This was painful and unnecessary for my son (we stopped using that dentist when it was clear this isn't 'normal').
i realize this is n=1. but apparently calgary [0] also realized this was having an opposite effect as well. (yes i realize this is slightly different than supplementation in the parent article but the supplementation would have saved my kid from unnecessary cavities.)
[0] https://www.npr.org/2024/12/13/nx-s1-5224138/calgary-removed...
EDIT: clarity on 'supplementation'
Here in Europe we get our fluoride from our toohpaste. Was your sons toothpaste flourinated?
absolutely. but i think there's at least some evidence that lack of appropriate fluoridation is beneficial. certainly in my anecdotal example (ofc, i didn't grow up in this town and every town in the US has wildly different fluoride levels in the municipal water systems).
Nowadays you get way more sugar in, well, all and every product
Had to look this up because I got the impression that they banned flouride for toothpaste and mouthwash too, this is not the case obviously. The recent FDA move targets prescription fluoride supplements that are swallowed, such as tablets and drops.
I see no reason to ban those even if you have strong reservations about fluoride in the water supply. Since this administration rarely functions on logic I expect they'll move to banning the toothpaste, mouthwash and the topical treatments in dental offices since this will be treated more like some kind of vindictive holy war rather than an attempt to improve public health in any rational manner.
There are disorders where fluoride has collected in your bones and from what I understand that’s not only not a good idea but also fairly painful.
I grew up drinking well water, and had an ever-growing mouthful of cavities. In junior high I had more teeth with fillings than without. That mercifully ended when the dentist prescribed daily fluoride tablets for me and my brother.
Anyone who thinks banning fluoride is a good idea, you don't have a single clue what you're talking about. Not one.
Related:
Statewide fluoride ban for tap water passes in Florida
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43843547
It feels as though we are on the path toward the government endorsing essential oils, homeopathy, psychics and Ouija Boards. All because one person perceives “science” as a political opponent.
I hope they don't ban wifi https://www.reddit.com/r/JoeRogan/comments/14dybf3/just_a_re...
I have little doubt that by the time this is over, they’ll be teaching public school kids that WiFi causes cancer, the earth is flat, psychic powers work, vibrating crystals can cure diseases, the moon landings were fake, and professional wrestling is real.
I actually miss the GOP of the 90s, who just wanted to teach that the Earth was 6000 years old and that Jesus rode dinosaurs.
Do you feel the same way about European countries who don't add fluoride to water? Do you think we should consume shampoo and soap because it's beneficial when used topically?
…yes?
That exact strain of provincial European quackiness is how you get homeopathy and alternative medicines covered under public health insurance and paid for by tax dollars in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, etc.
At least France grappled with it ~5 years ago and removed it IIRC. Still being debated in Germany.
Slippery slope.
6 replies →
Is that person RFK because it isn't Trump. Trump doesn't give a shit about science, he cares about support. That's why Democrat castoffs (RFK after being antivax was no longer a left wing position and Gabbard for having the audacity to oppose the Clinton machine) found a home under his tent.
Politically, those were great moves. He was able to pull outsider figures from the center-left away from the party that had tripled down on party loyalists.
RFK is not Democrat in any reasonable sense and wasn't for years. RFK is literally Secretary of Health and Human Services appointed by Trump.
And RFK is perfectly matching the rest of Trumps and republican party policies regardless where you look.
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bootlicking only if they are coated in fluoride
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