Toothpaste and The Dangers of Fluoride

If you follow me on Facebook you will have seen that I am reading, The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care by Sally Fallon Morell and Dr. Thomas S. Cowan.  I highly recommend this book if you have children or are planning on having children. There are some excellent chapters on illnesses, vaccinations, disorders, pregnancy, nutrition and remedies.
One section in particular was of interest to me.  The authors have written a simple yet informative piece about the dangers of fluoride.  We are finally living on a fluoride free well but before this, we had been on a fluoridated city water system.  Many European countries as well as some Asia countries have banned fluoride from their drinking water, however in many parts of Canada and the United States, fluoride is still added to much of our drinking water.
According to the authors, fluoride can suppress your thyroid, slow down metabolism, cause behavioural problems and create white or even staining spots on your teeth.  The Environmental Health Perspectives Journal has even found that children in high level fluoride levels had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low fluoride levels.  Yikes with fluoride and sugar (see The Secrets of Sugar) we are creating some less than intelligent people.
Dr. Mercola has a great interview with dentist, Dr. Osmunson, who after much research realized that fluoride does very little to reduce tooth decay but in fact found that areas with less fluoride had less decay. Dr, Osmunson goes on to explain the dangers of fluoride.  Fluoride can inhibit the production of melatonin, increase the changes of cancer,  encourage hyperactivity as well as dementia.  For more on this interview please see  The Toxic Import from China Hidden in this Everyday Beverage...
If you are concerned about the amount of fluoride your family is ingesting do consider fluoride free toothpaste as well as omitting any dental fluoride treatments.  There are many brands of toothpaste which promote a fluoride free recipe.  There are also some great sites on making your own toothpaste.  Talking to your region about their water treatment process will also give you some more insight about what you are ingesting.