The fluoridation of water is one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th Century, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But now, an expert panel recommends reducing the amount of fluoride - a chemical that helps prevent tooth decay -- in drinking water. The panel says this, along with other measures, would better protect children from developing fluorosis, a mottling of the teeth that occurs with too much fluoride.
In a report posted to Health Canada's website, the panel also recommends encouraging the use of low-fluoride toothpaste by children between the ages of 0 and 3, and reducing the levels in infant formula.
The panel suggests a fluoride level of 0.7 parts per million. The current allowable range is 0.8 to one ppm.
Health Canada told Â鶹´«Ã½ that it will accept the recommendations, but the ultimate decision on implementation will be left up to individual municipalities.
In a report dated April 2008, the panel said the risk of dental fluorosis, mottling of the teeth, in children drove its recommendations.
However, the panel suggested Canada doesn't face a major problem with fluorosis.
"From a health perspective, there is no reason to be concerned about the actual prevalence of very mild and mild dental fluorosis in Canada," it said.
"In addition, the actual prevalence of moderate dental fluorosis in Canada is low, and all evidence suggests that since 1996 there has been an overall decreasing trend of dental fluorosis in Canada."
Some people have tried linking fluoride use, intended to prevent tooth decay, to a wide variety of health concerns, including:
- increased cancer risk
- lower IQs
- increased bone fracture risk
- immune system, developmental and reproductive problems
"Weight of evidence does not support a link between exposure to fluoride and increased risks of cancer," the panel wrote. It drew the same conclusion about claims of lower IQs and immune, developmental and reproductive problems.
On increased bone cancer risk, the panel said: "Studies that do not control for confounding factors, such as intake of calcium, fluoride, or vitamin D supplements, intake of other medication, or consideration of traumatic fractures, should be interpreted cautiously."
The panel concluded: "The current Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) of 1.5 mg/L of fluoride in drinking water is unlikely to cause adverse health effects, including cancer, bone fracture, immunotoxicity, reproductive/developmental toxicity, genotoxicity, and/or neurotoxicity."
The current MAC should be reaffirmed, the panel said.
Anti-fluoride lobby groups, meanwhile, don't want any added fluoride, saying it can contribute to everything from cancer to bone loss.
