Isn fluoride dangerous?
The scientific literature is pretty close to unanimous on the issue and the answer is “no.” It is a bit unfortunate that the debate has degenerated to the level that it has. On the one side, the opponents appeal to a handful of poorly executed, unrefereed studies to support their positions. This literature has tendentious and unscientific qualities that are not hard to identify after even a cursory examination. But, part of the blame rests too on the autocratic way that the dental and medical community have communicated their positions. Ridiculing the real anxieties that many, particularly elderly people, have about the issue is not good PR. Unfortunately, the big losers up to this point have been lower income families, many of whom cannot afford regular dental checkups and dental surgery for their children.
