Poisons in Your Mouth
© Robert Anderson PhD
Originally published in Organic NZ May/June 2004, Vol. 63 No. 3
The latest development in toothpaste centres on something called triclosan - a product that, we’re told, attaches an anti-bacterial ingredient to teeth, opening the way to 12 hours of fresh breath protection. We asked retired scientist, Dr Robert Anderson, what triclosan is and what it does.
The US Environmental Protection Agency registered triclosan as a pesticide.
Triclosan is one of the latest antibacterial chemicals. It is also included in mouthwashes, certain detergents and laundry soaps, hand soaps, deodorants and a wide range of cosmetics.
Is triclosan safe? The US Environmental Protection Agency registered triclosan as a pesticide, and a risk to human health and the environment. (Note: New Zealand and many other countries rely on the EPA, as they have no equivalent regulatory authority.)
Triclosan is a chlorinated aromatic, similar in molecular structure to some of the most toxic chemicals on earth; e.g. PCBs. Its manufacturing process can produce dioxin, which is a powerful carcinogen, having toxic effects in parts per trillion, one drop in 300 full-sized swimming pools. Dioxin is a hormone-disrupting chemical, which poses serious long-term health risks. Hormone disrupters interfere with the way hormones perform, e.g. changing genetic material or causing birth defects. Triclosan itself belongs to the chlorophenols, a class of cancer-causing chemicals.
It is certainly not necessary to use a strong antibiotic agent such as triclosan for brushing teeth. This is a shotgun approach, killing all the "bad" microscopic organisms while also destroying beneficial bacteria. These "good" bacteria cause no harm and are essential to our well-being. They aid metabolism and serve to inhibit the invasion of harmful pathogens.
The bacteria that cause tooth decay can be selectively killed by simply using xylitol chewing gum* (which has an added advantage in protecting children from ear infections).1 For those not familiar with it, xylitol is a natural sweetener, extracted from various materials rich in hemicellulose; e.g. fruits, the husks of rice and oats, and corn cobs. It is found to a small extent in human mothers’ milk, and our bodies produce a small amount. Xylitol is safe for diabetics, as it has a low glycaemic index of 7, and therefore little effect on blood sugar. It is as sweet as sugar, with 40 per cent less calories. It promotes dental health, is gluten free, and occurs naturally in foods. (The full story of this substance can be read at www.xylitol.org/drmakinen.htm.)
There is a project under way in Glasgow to test xylitol as a replacement for fluoride in mass medicating against tooth decay. The arguments for fluoride are largely economic. Fluoride (hydrofluosilicic acid) is a by-product of phosphate fertiliser manufacture, and every year 80,000 tonnes of it are disposed of by adding it to drinking water in the US, where research by the chief chemist of the National Cancer Institute, Dr Dean Burk, indicates there are 10,000 or more fluoridation-linked cancer deaths annually.
Fluoride has become popular in the fight against dental caries, but it is yet another very poisonous material. It is an acute toxin, with a rating slightly higher than that of lead.2 Unlike the valuable element selenium — which has been proven to reduce the risk of cancer, and of which New Zealand soils are seriously deficient — we get more than sufficient fluoride from natural sources.
Fluoride may be of some benefit for adults. However, the current intake of fluoride in "optimally fluoridated" areas is estimated to be between 5 and 7g/day per person - equally divided between fluoridated drinking water, food, drinks and dental products. It means that even if you do not live in a fluoridated area, you are still likely to have a significant intake of fluoride.
Average fluoride content in juices can range from 0.02 to 2.80 parts per million, due to variations in fluoride concentrations of water used in producing them. In the US, grape juice was found to contain up to 6.8g/L of fluoride, and a can of chicken soup up to 4g of fluoride. Teflon-coated items such as frying pans also contain fluoride-based chemicals.
It is worth noting that no "optimal" fluoride intake has ever been scientifically recognised. So how much is too much? However, there is certainly a valid reason for not including sodium fluoride in children's toothpastes because, with peppermint flavouring and the like added to enhance the taste of toothpaste, children often swallow it.
No "optimal" fluoride intake has ever been scientifically recognized.
Children may already be at risk of an excess of fluoride from their food alone. University researchers analysing foods typical of 3 to 5-year-olds found their diets significantly contribute to a child's daily fluoride intake.3 Children’s ingestion of fluoride from juices and juice-flavoured beverages can be quite substantial and a crucial factor in developing fluorosis.4-14 As little as 0.04 mg/kg/day has been proven to cause serious health effects. Retention of 2mg a day can produce crippling skeletal fluorosis in one's lifetime. And when paediatric dentists make a deal with CocaCola15-16 it shows an appalling unfamiliarity with and disregard for medical literature.
What we need is good nutritional information, not fluoride and triclosan in toothpastes.
(Enquire about the natural sugar substitute - zylotol and zylotol products - at naturesstar@xtra.co.nz.)
Robert Anderson BSc (Hons), PhD (4 February 1942 to 5 December 2008)
Robert Anderson was a Trustee of Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Genetics (now Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility) www.psgr.org.nz. He authored The Final Pollution: Genetic Apocalypse, Exploding the Myth of Genetic Engineering and several other publications on environmental, health and social justice issues.
View Robert Anderson’s lectures on this site.
Address enquiries for Robert Anderson's publications to naturesstar@xtra.co.nz
References:
1. Uhari M, Kontiokari T, et al, "Xylitol chewing gum in the prevention of acute otitis media: double-blind randomised trial". Br.Med Journal (1996) 313:1180-1184.
2. According to Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, 5th Edition, 1984, lead is given a toxicity rating of 3 to 4, and fluoride is rated at 4 (3 = moderately toxic, 4 = very toxic). On 7 December 1992, the new EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for lead was set at 0.015 ppm, with a goal of O.Oppm. The MCL for fluoride is currently set for 4.0ppm - that's over 350 times the permissible level of lead. Fluoride is also considered toxic waste. It is one of the most bone-seeking elements known to mankind. The US Public Health Service has stated that fluoride makes the bones more brittle and the dental enamel more porous.
3. J. Am. Dent. Assoc., 1997 Jul; 128(7):857-G3, "Fluoride concentrations of infant foods".
Heilman J R, Kiritsy M C, Levy S M, Wefel J S. 4. J. Am. Dent. Assoc., 1996 Jul; 127(7):895-
902, "Assessing fluoride concentrations of juices and juice-flavoured drinks". Kiritsy M C, Levy S M, Warren J J, Guha-Chowdhury N, Heilman ] R, Marshall T.
5. J. din. Paediatrics Dent., 1991 Fall; 16(1):38-40, "Fluoride levels and fluoride contamination of fruit juices". Stannard J G, Shim Y S, Kritsineli M, Labropoulou P, Tsamtsouris A.
6. J. Public Health Dent., 1995 Winter; 55(l):39-52, "Sources of fluoride intake in children". Levy S M, Kiritsy M C, Warren J J. 7. Caries Research. (2002) 36(6): 405-410. "Fluoride concentration and pH of iced tea products". Behrendt A, Oberste V, Wetzel W E..
8. J. Agric. Food Chem. (2001)., 49(9):4284-6. "Fluoride content of foods made with mechan-
ically separated chicken". Fein NJ, Cerklewski FL.
9. Cen. Dent. (1998).46(2):190-3. "Impact of imported beverages on fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities". Turner S D, et al.
10 Journal of Clinical Paediatric Dentistry. (1991).16(1):38-40. "Fluoride Levels and Fluoride Contamination of Fruit Juices". Stannard J G, et al.
11. ASDC JDcnt Child 2001 Jan-Feb; 68(1):37-41,10. "Fluoride content of infant formulas
prepared with deionised, bottled mineral and fluoridated drinking water". Buzalaf M A, Granjeiro J M, Damante C A, de Ornelas F.
12. J. Public Health Dent., 1999 Fall; 59(4):229- 34, "Fluoride intake by infants". Fomon S J,
Ekstrand J.
13. J. Dent. Res. 1992 Jul; 71(7):1382-8, "Fluoride intake from beverage consumption in a sample of North Carolina children". Pang D T, Phillips C L, Bawden J W.
14. According to the latest estimates from UNICEF, "fluorosis is endemic in at least 25 countries across the globe. The total number of people affected is not known, but a conservative estimate would number in the tens of millions." http://www.fluoridealert.org/fluorosis-India.htm
15. "Dentists do deal with Coca-Cola." http://www.cspinet.org/new/2Q0303041.html.
16. J. Am. Dent. Assoc., 1999 Nov; 130(11):1593-9, "Assessing fluoride levels of carbonated soft drinks". Heilman J R, Kiritsy M C, Levy S M, Wefel J S.