On June 19, 2008 the American Dental Association updated its website indicating that fluoride is a concern to all kidney patients, not just those on dialysis. Along with false assurances of safety, fluoride chemicals are added to some public and bottled water in the unscientific belief it reduces cavities. Fluoride-induced bone damage could occur in kidney patients who consume even "optimally" fluoridated water because malfunctioning kidneys do not properly sift fluoride from the blood and out of the body. Fluoride builds up in bones making them brittle and fracture. For this reason, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) withdrew its fluoridation endorsement in October 2007, which they made public in a fluoride paper dated April 15, 2008 with advice that “individuals with CKD [Chronic Kidney Disease] should be notified of the potential risk of fluoride exposure.” After the 2006 National Research Council's (NRC) fluoride toxicology report was brought to their attention, the NKF withdrew its fluoridation endorsement. The NRC fluoride report 12-member panel was created to review current fluoride toxicology data at the request of the Environmental Protection Agency to determine whether the maximum contaminant level goal (4 mg/L) of fluoride in public water supplies is safe. The NRC says that level must be lowered. But neither the NRC nor the EPA has determined how low it should go. At least three NRC panel members conclude that water fluoride levels should be close to zero, not only to protect kidney patients, but also thyroid patients, infants and high water drinkers. This would effectively shut down fluoridation in the U.S. But organized dentistry isn't going to let go of its pet project and diminish its political viability by admitting fluoridation is a failed experiment. So they downplay anything negative about fluoride and in this case they want you to know that fluoride is only a secondary concern. And, of course, I want you to know that secondary doesn't mean no concern. However, even the ADA seems to be covering their legal assets with this statement in their Fluoridation Facts booklet, “decreased fluoride removal may occur among persons with severely impaired kidney function who may not be on kidney dialysis.” Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director who states the CDC is "America’s health protection leader" has yet to post any of this information on its website. They usually follow the lead of the ADA concerning fluoride and fluoridation. The CDC’s website still erroneously claims, ““The findings of the NRC report are consistent with CDC’s assessment that water is safe and healthy at the levels used for water fluoridation (0.7–1.2 mg/L)” The NRC reports “Early water fluoridation studies did not carefully assess changes in renal [kidney] function...Several investigators have shown that patients with impaired renal function, or on hemodialysis, tend to accumulate fluoride much more quickly than normal." New York State Department of Health employee, Dr. J. Kumar received the ADA’s fluoridation award. With money and support from the CDC Kumar is promoting fluoridation in New York State by conducting fluoridation spokesperson training among other activities. Kumar is ignoring his own 1990 health department report published in Oral biology and Medicine which concluded "The available data suggest that some individuals may experience hypersensitivity to fluoride-containing agents. Further studies on hypersensitivity are required" and "Studies on the effects of fluoride in individuals with renal insufficiency are needed." That advice wasn’t heeded. Those studies were never conducted. But Kumar and the NYS Department of Health is using our tax money to push even more fluoride into us. According to the Fluoride Action Network,: “The bone changes commonly found among patients with advanced kidney disease closely resemble the bone changes found among individuals with the osteomalacic-type of skeletal fluorosis. This raises the possibility that some individuals with kidney disease are suffering from undiagnosed skeletal fluorosis.” More fluoride/kidney information here: http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/kidney/index.html References: 1) USDA Fluoride in Foods Database http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Fluoride/fluoride.pdf 2) National Kidney Foundation, “Fluoride Intake in Chronic Kidney Disease,” April 15, 2008 http://www.kidney.org/atoz/pdf/Fluoride_Intake_in_CKD.pdf 3) Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation “Effects of fluoridation of community water supplies for people with chronic kidney disease,” (2007) 22: 2763–2767, Ludlow et al. http://www.kidney.org/atoz/pdf/KHAFluoridation_CKD-NDT_2007.pdf 4) National Kidney Foundation, “Fluoride” http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=205 5) September 18, 2007 letter, Reeves to National Kidney Foundation http://www.fluoridealert.org/NKF_letter01.pdf 6) October , 2007 news release “Did Kidney Foundation Leave Millions at Risk by Failing to Warn about Fluorides and Fluoridated Drinking Water?” by Daniel Stockin, MPH, The Lillie Center http://fluoridealert.org/press/nkf.htm 7) American Dental Association, http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/facts/compendium.asp 8) Louisiana Dental Association, “Health Smiles Coalition” http://www.healthysmileslouisiana.org/coalition.html 9) American Dental Association, “Fluoridation Facts” http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/facts/fluoridation_facts.pdf 10) U.S. Centers for Disease Control, MMWR “Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease and Associated Risk Factors --- United States, 1999—2004 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5608a2.htm