Your town: Los Angeles, CA
Your town: Los Angeles, CA
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Therapists Treat the Dentist-Neglected cheaply & effectively
That sounds very nice and paints a picture of the dentist who deeply believes in helping people and not necessarily becoming a multi-millionaire by the age of 40. Some are like that; but most are not. 80% of dentists refuse Medicaid patients and 108 million American don't have dental insurance. The Wall Street Journal told me that most dentists make three times as much as physicians while working fewer days, fewer hours on less critical work. Do you really believe that dentists who become rich rejecting the poor and welcoming the wealthy would encourage Medicaid patients into their plush offices. When I talk to dentists, they are candid in saying they just don't want to deal with "those" people. Studies show that when Medicaid reimbursement increases, it still does not solve the problem of access to care. Besides, I don't think you should be allowed to hold low-income Americans hostage until your government gives you more money to treat them. You should be mandated to treat a certain number of low-income individuals a year - just like you mandate water fluoridation for the benefit of the poor people who can't afford toothpaste or your dental care. How many dentists would choose to locate in rural Alaska, Appalachia, Bronx, NY or other low-income areas where the need is high but the money is low? What you, Dr. Pruitt and the ADA is offering is no care versus Dental Therapists. If you really cared about quality of care, you would go after your own. I don't know one person who doesn't have a dentist horror story. But there is nothing the average person can do unless the damage and pain is so extensive to allow a malpractice lawsuit. Will you or Dr. Pruitt testify in court against any dentist who does substandard work? I doubt it. Dentists are the only profession that has a monopoly on a body part. Breaking that monopoly can only help the consumer. I can understand why you resist change - because it will lower dental costs to the consumer and possibly your profits. The ADA argument you espouse just doesn't hold water. (3 hrs ago | post #11)
Actually, the article says, "All sorts of chemicals are being put on crops, our yards. And washed into our storm drains. '" Lead, arsenic and mercury laced silicofluorides are sprinkled on crops and lawns then washed into storm drains. That's what fluoridation has to do with storm water runoff. (Saturday May 10 | post #12)
Grand Rapids debating water fluoridation
Actually, fluoride is neither a nutrient nor required for healthy teeth. Fluoride is a drug regulated by the Food and Drug Administration in toothpastes and mouth rinses. But the FDA never safety tested fluoride for ingestion. PR by big toothpaste manufacturers make you believe you need fluoride to have healthy teeth but you don't There is no evidence that consuming a fluoride-free diet leads to cavities. Bad diets cause bad teeth and fluoride won't fix that. Good diets create good teeth and fluoride has nothing to do with that. (Saturday May 10 | post #14)
The fluoride that's added to your water is NOT there naturally. Silicofluorides are toxin-laced waste scrubbed from the smokestacks of phosphate fertilizer plants and dumped unpurified into your drinking water. This you pay for both in dollars and adverse health effects. (Saturday May 10 | post #9)
A very easy way to stop the flow of chemicals into the water ways is for Grand Rapids to stop adding unnecessary hydrofluosilicic acid into the water supplies in the first place. Often this acid has to be neutralized with yet another chemical such as sodium hydroxide. Grand Rapids adds hydrofluosilicic acid (fluoride )into the water supply in a failed effort to reduce tooth decay. Only 1% of the water supply is consumed. 99% of this hydrofluosilicic acid, which also contains trace amounts of lead, arsenic, mercury and other toxins, gets back into your environment. It's a no brainer to stop fluoridation. It saves money, health and has no down side as studies show when fluoridation ends, cavities actually go down. However, the politics of fluoridation and the power of the American Dental Association, funded by corporations who benefit by keeping fluoride as the protected pollutant, is a hard force to beat down. Good Luck (Friday May 9 | post #3)
Schumer backs bill to expand child dental care
It's interesting that the NYS Department of Health still uses Newburgh as an example of how fluoridation is preventing tooth decay and preventing such a need for dental care. Guess they are lying! After 60 years of water fluoridation, fluoride has seeped into our food and beverage supply. It's in pesticide residues on foods and it's in more and more drugs as well as in dental products. As a result, US children are fluoride overdosed and sport dental fluorosis - white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted teeth. In fact, Newburgh children have more dental fluorosis and more tooth decay than never-fluoridated Kingston New York. Yet we are told the opposite. Fluoridation has hardly put a dent in dentists' income. In fact, many dentists make three times as much as physicians while working fewer hours, fewer days on less critical work, according to the Wall Street Journal. While organized dentistry supports fluoridation wholeheartedly because they know it doesn't hurt their bottom line, they do vigorously oppose any group who dares to infringe upon their lucrative monopoly. For example, the American Dental Association unsuccessfully sued Dental Health Aide Therapists in Alaska. DHATs are two or three year trained individuals who drill, fill and pull teeth in mouths and cities and towns where dentists refuse to go. Organized dentistry is fighting against Therapists in Minnesota now. Many times they lobby against hygienists working independently because they want a slice of the money pie. Meanwhile 80% of dentists refuse Medicaid patients and 106 million people don't have dental insurance. We shouldn't reward dentists for creating this dental health crisis because of their greed. Governments must mandate that dentists take a certain number of low income individuals a year. We know dentists love mandates because they are behind almost every fluoridation mandate in the country. (Thursday May 8 | post #1)
Grand Rapids debating water fluoridation
Fluoridation has not stopped tooth decay, which is rampant in Grand Rapids and other Michigan fluoridated cities despite a glut of fluoride. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control tell us that up to 48% of school children are fluoride overdosed and sport dental fluorosis - white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted teeth which has created a hugely new profitable market for dentists who charge upwards to tens of thousands of dollars to cover up with veneers, crowns, caps, bonding, and/or microabrasion. Over 1,690 professionals urge Congress to hold hearings about why government officials continue to promote fluoridation in the fact of growing evidence of ineffectiveness and harm. Support their efforts here: http://congress.fl uorideaction.net (Thursday May 8 | post #1)
Fluoride pioneer Grand Rapids rethinks safety of putting chemic...
Grand Rapids & Michigan have high decay rates despite fluoridation January 25, 1945, sodium fluoride was slowly poured into Grand Rapids, Michigan’s public water supply to prove that fluoridation reduces children’s tooth decay. Nearby Muskegon was left fluoridation-free as the experiment’s control city for comparison purposes. The study failed; but early fluoridationists ignored this inconvenient truth. Named a “demonstration project” so as not to alarm residents about what was actually occurring, the experiment was meant to last 15 years. After only five years, cavities went down in both Grand Rapids and Muskegon. So officials fluoridated Muskegon which scientifically nullified the study.(1) Today Americans are fluoride overdosed, suffer from fluoride’s toxic effects while cavity rates rise. "Grand Rapids has a moral obligation to stop fluoridation instead of glorifying it so as to protect all Americans," says lawyer Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. "Grand Rapids current Mayor, who is also an ordained minister, should begin that process." says Beeber. There are many errors in the Grand Rapids experiment. (2) When a firm of professional statisticians was employed to study the data published from the trial, they concluded: "the lack of sophistication shown in selecting the sample leads to complete bewilderment as to the precise effects or the extent of the effect of fluoridation" (De Stefano 1954). The Grand Rapids experiment never proved fluoridation was effective and didn’t even look for adverse health effects. But that hasn’t stopped public officials and organized dentistry from saying it did. In fact, two monuments have been built in fluoridation’s honor in Grand Rapids. The first one crumbled and fell apart just as over-fluoridated children’s teeth tend to do. So what’s happening today? Grand Rapids children are showing high rates of tooth decay and fluoride overdose - dental fluorosis, white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted enamel.(3) According to the Grand Rapids Press, one pediatric dentist said in 2007 “…we see children under the age of 2 with active decay…Rather than just a few cavities, we're seeing a lot of cavities. It's not unusual to see a child with 8 to 10 cavities." (4) The state of Michigan is now 86% fluoridated and Detroit is 100% fluoridated. A study shows that, although fluoridated tap water is the most consumed item, 83% of low-income Detroit African-American adults, 14-years-old and over, have severe tooth decay.(5) Almost all Detroit’s African-American 5-year-olds have cavities, most of them go unfilled.(6) The Michigan Department of Community Health reports: (7) Cavity rates in six to eight-year-olds are: -- 75% for American Indian/Alaska Natives -- 72% of Hispanics, -- 57% of White non-Hispanic -- 57% of Black non-Hispanic -- 50% of Asians “One in four (25%) Michigan third grade children have untreated dental decay.” Low income children have significantly higher rates of untreated dental decay. Continued with References: http://groups.goog le.com/group/Fluor idation-News-Relea ses/browse_thread/ thread/fafd7fe79e2 34102 (Wednesday May 7 | post #1)
Grand Rapids & Michigan have High Cavity Rates
January 25, 1945, sodium fluoride was slowly poured into Grand Rapids, Michigan’s public water supply to prove that fluoridation reduces children’s tooth decay. Nearby Muskegon was left fluoridation-free as the experiment’s control city for comparison purposes. The study failed; but early fluoridationists ignored this inconvenient truth. Named a “demonstration project” so as not to alarm residents about what was actually occurring, the experiment was meant to last 15 years. After only five years, cavities went down in both Grand Rapids and Muskegon. So officials fluoridated Muskegon which scientifically nullified the study.(1) Today Americans are fluoride overdosed, suffer from fluoride’s toxic effects while cavity rates rise. "Grand Rapids has a moral obligation to stop fluoridation instead of glorifying it so as to protect all Americans," says lawyer Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. "Grand Rapids current Mayor, who is also an ordained minister, should begin that process." says Beeber. There are many errors in the Grand Rapids experiment. (2) When a firm of professional statisticians was employed to study the data published from the trial, they concluded: "the lack of sophistication shown in selecting the sample leads to complete bewilderment as to the precise effects or the extent of the effect of fluoridation" (De Stefano 1954). The Grand Rapids experiment never proved fluoridation was effective and didn’t even look for adverse health effects. But that hasn’t stopped public officials and organized dentistry from saying it did. In fact, two monuments have been built in fluoridation’s honor in Grand Rapids. The first one crumbled and fell apart just as over-fluoridated children’s teeth tend to do. So what’s happening today? Grand Rapids children are showing high rates of tooth decay and fluoride overdose - dental fluorosis, white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted enamel.(3) According to the Grand Rapids Press, one pediatric dentist said in 2007 “…we see children under the age of 2 with active decay…Rather than just a few cavities, we're seeing a lot of cavities. It's not unusual to see a child with 8 to 10 cavities." (4) The state of Michigan is now 86% fluoridated and Detroit is 100% fluoridated. A study shows that, although fluoridated tap water is the most consumed item, 83% of low-income Detroit African-American adults, 14-years-old and over, have severe tooth decay.(5) Almost all Detroit’s African-American 5-year-olds have cavities, most of them go unfilled.(6) The Michigan Department of Community Health reports: (7) Cavity rates in six to eight-year-olds are: -- 75% for American Indian/Alaska Natives -- 72% of Hispanics, -- 57% of White non-Hispanic -- 57% of Black non-Hispanic -- 50% of Asians “One in four (25%) Michigan third grade children have untreated dental decay.” Low income children have significantly higher rates of untreated dental decay. Continued with References: http://groups.goog le.com/group/Fluor idation-News-Relea ses/browse_thread/ thread/fafd7fe79e2 34102 (Wednesday May 7 | post #1)
Therapists Treat the Dentist-Neglected cheaply & effectively
Another dentist said of this letter: "It seems like there are talking points being developed by some that are not in the spirit of the settlement agreement of “The Lawsuit”. This letter to the editor is not the first time I’ve seen the words “standard of care” or “lesser standard of care” when referring to the Alaska program. One would think that continuing to talk in this manner violates the terms of the lawsuit settlement agreement. And by the way, isn’t organized dentistry always telling its members that they don’t set “standards of care”? Where is the Evidence Based Dentistry angle on this subject? Until the evidence shows otherwise, statements about standards of care cannot be made with certainty." (Tuesday May 6 | post #9)
10 things that can wreck your teeth
Dental examinations of 4800 South Australian ten- to fifteen-year-olds' permanent teeth reveal unexpected results - similar cavity rates whether they drink fluoridated water or not, reports Armfield and Spencer in the August 2004 "Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology" Even when fluoridated water is the most consumed item, cavities are extensive when diets are poor, according to Caries Research. ("Dietary Patterns Related to Caries in a Low-Income Adult Population, Burt, et al., Caries Research 2006:40:473-480 ) "While bottled water users had significantly lower fluoride intakes, this study found no conclusive evidence of an association with increased caries.," reports Levy et at in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry Summer 2007 Fluoride exposure is rising and causing children’s tooth imperfections, ranging from white spots to brownish discolorations and pitting (fluorosis), dentist Elivir Dincer reports in the New York State Dental Journal. (Saturday May 3 | post #2)
Therapists Treat the Dentist-Neglected cheaply & effectively
Who's hiding? And what would you say or do if we were talking face to face. What would be different? (Thursday May 1 | post #6)
Town battles water woes, regulations
Fluoride Damages the Thyroid New York – There is clear evidence that small amounts of fluoride, at or near levels added to U.S. water supplies, present potential risks to the thyroid gland, according to the National Research Council’s (NRC) first-ever published review of the fluoride/thyroid literature.(A) Fluoride, in the form of silicofluorides, injected into 2/3 of U.S. public water supplies, ostensibly to reduce tooth decay, was never safety-tested.(B) “Many Americans are exposed to fluoride in the ranges associated with thyroid effects, especially for people with iodine deficiency,” says Kathleen Thiessen, PhD, co-author of the government-sponsor ed NRC report. “The recent decline in iodine intake in the U.S could contribute to increased toxicity of fluoride for some individuals,” says Thiessen. “A low level of thyroid hormone can increase the risk of cardiac disease, high cholesterol, depression and, in pregnant woman, decreased intelligence of offspring,” said Thiessen.(C) Common thyroid symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, constipation, fuzzy thinking, low blood pressure, fluid retention, depression, body pain, slow reflexes, and more. It’s estimated that 59 million Americans have thyroid conditions.(D) Robert Carton, PhD, an environmental scientist who worked for over 30 years for the U.S. government including managing risk assessments on high priority toxic chemicals, says “fluoride has detrimental effects on the thyroid gland of healthy males at 3.5 mg a day. With iodine deficiency, the effect level drops to 0.7 milligrams/day for an average male.”(E) (1.0 mg/L fluoride is in most water supplies) Among many others, the NRC Report cites human studies which show - fluoride concentrations in thyroids exceeding that found in other soft tissues except kidney - an association between endemic goiter and fluoride exposure or enamel fluorosis in human populations - fluoride adversely affects thyroid and parathyroid hormones, which affect bone health “If you have a thyroid problem, avoiding fluoride may be a good preventive health measure for you,” writes Drs’ Richard and Karilee Shames in “Thyroid Power.”(F). Over, 1500 Physicians, Dentists, Scientists, Academics and Environmentalists urge Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted. They cite new scientific evidence that fluoridation is ineffective and has serious health risks. (http://www.fluori deaction.org/state ment.august.2007.h tml) Scientific American quotes John Doull, professor emeritus of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, who chaired the NRC committee thusly, “The thyroid changes do worry me.” “Fluoride can harm bones, teeth, kidneys, the brain and more,” says lawyer Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. "It's time to stop fluoridation. " References: http://tinyurl.com /6kqtu (Thursday May 1 | post #1)
