As I live on the mainland of Europe, there is no fluoridated water coming out of our taps. Why would 73% of the US population have their drinking water fluoridated? I came across an interesting video by Dr. Russel Blaylock, MD who pointed out how this came about.

In the excerpt below he goes back to the very beginning. In 1945 an experiment was started in two towns in Michigan: Grand Rapids and Muskegon. It was found – even before the experiment was really over – that the results were extremely positive: some 30-60% less cavities were found in Grand Rapids. This eventually led to the introduction of fluoridated water across the United States.

Something that is far less known is that there were also 30-60% less cavities in the control group in that other town, Muskegon!

Blaylock explains that this improvement could be explained by other factors, namely the increased intake of calcium, better diets and better oral hygiene. He presents all kinds of other studies that only confirm that fluoridating water doesn’t have any effect on the number of cavities (2).

He wonders why – despite all the evidence of its ineffectiveness – water is still fluoridated in the US.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
The aim of this article is to introduce this topic to the readers. In the Harvard Public Health Magazine I read an article that confirms Blaylock’s analysis that countries without any fluoridated water also have lower cavities. Fortunately there seems to be movement towards less fluoridation in the US (3). Perhaps certain worrying studies play a role in that trend as well (4).

FOOTNOTES
(1) Fast Facts: Community Water Fluoridation
(2) He even says that in some cases there were even adverse effects.
(3) The fluoride fight: Data shows more US cities, towns remove fluoride from drinking water
(4) Fluoride exposure during pregnancy linked to increased risk of childhood neurobehavioral problems, study finds

Image is from https://www.thehealthjournals.com/water-fluoridation/