One of my children was given fluoride varnish yesterday against my wishes. I wanted to share my correspondence with the school in case anyone else is moved to educate the directors of their child’s school. I am hopeful that the school will no longer offer varnishing as a result of the education provided. This isn’t a “service” any school should offer, in my opinion. So, although unfortunate that my child suffered an exposure, I hope at least something positive is going to come of it for all the children.
“Xxxxx, thank you for your time and concern yesterday afternoon in the matter that the health department orally administered fluoride varnish to Xxxxx without my consent. I am even further appalled that she told them that her mom would not like this and she was sure I didn’t sign up for it. Yet, they continued to proceed. As a nurse, I cannot even believe that this did not throw a red flag to those administering the varnish. Actually, I’m sure it did…apparently they just feel the laws of the state of Xxxxxx don’t apply to them. This is absolutely unacceptable on any terms at any time. I will be following up with the health department to discuss the incompetency of their staff, unsafe administration of medical products with potential serious side effects and complete disregard of the form I signed NOT consenting in the fall. I did not give consent today either. Why would I want the second dose if I didn’t want the first? I would never give consent for such a toxic substance to be placed in my child’s mouth, especially not one that accumulates in tissue and has been correlated with negative consequences in the body. Thank you for your assistance in helping me determine who I need to follow up with regarding health department staff education on proper procedure in assuring parental consent is obtained prior to administration of a medical intervention or procedure on a minor. I am including a few resources to follow. There are plenty…this just represents a small fraction of resources available on the health concerns of fluoride exposure.”
“I know that you already understand that I am very upset about this occurrence, as any parent would be. I also want to express that I am just as upset that Xxxxx was emotionally disturbed, felt ashamed and coerced in going against what she knew our wishes were at the direction of an adult who should have taken heed when she expressed our wishes. She very obviously felt her own autonomy and the wishes of her parent were violated, although she communicated these wishes with the health department staff who should have been responsible for insuring parental consent. Instead, they ignored my child when she attempted to express that this was wrong, was a mistake, etc. According to her doctor that I spoke with yesterday evening about how to best mitigate any resulting damage to her, this could be viewed as a form of assault. I agree with her wholly. And, yes, I am up at 3:30 am working on this as I don’t know how I could possibly prepare this correspondence during the day while home alone with Xxxxx. It’s that important. Thanks again for your time and I want to be clear again in stating I hold no fault with XXX as XXX was not the responsible party who was administering the treatment. I do, however, plan to have a conversation with the health department.”
“I am thinking about how this could have been avoided had a nurse been present. I would be more than happy to serve in this capacity for the school when things like this arise in which an overseeing individual with credentials and training to provide proper informed consent, insure consent is obtained for those that still wish to participate, etc would be beneficial for the school and our families. I have spent the last 8 years educating parents on science they should be aware of in order to make educated decisions about their children’s healthcare. I would be honored to put together some information for parental review on things suggested or required by the state, such as fluoride varnish. Unfortunately the state does not provide proper informed consent. They like to only state the potential benefits while leaving out the potential harm. That is extremely unethical. If you would like our parents to be provided resources to educate themselves on risk vs benefit prior to making a decision I’m happy to do that as a volunteer. If you’d like me to get together resources I have in mind to share with you before making a decision I’m happy to do that as well over the summer.”
Resources to follow–Please note that within the following resources, you will find references of hundreds of other resources on fluoride concerns:
The following quote was taken from the Fact Sheet on Fluoride and Human Health, published by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. “In a 2006 report by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences in which the health risks of fluoride were evaluated, concerns were raised about potential associations between fluoride and osteosarcoma (a bone cancer), bone fractures, musculoskeletal effects, reproductive and developmental effects, neurotoxicity and neurobehavioral effects, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity, and effects on other organ systems.8”
“According to Paul Connett, Ph.D., director of the Fluoride Action Network, “This is the 24th study that has found this association, but this study is stronger than the rest because the authors have controlled for key confounding variables and in addition to correlating lowered IQ with levels of fluoride in the water, the authors found a correlation between lowered IQ and fluoride levels in children’s blood. This brings us closer to a cause and effect relationship between fluoride exposure and brain damage in children…One of the earliest animal studies of fluoride’s impact on the brain was published in the U.S. This study by Mullenix et. al (1995) led to the firing of the lead author by the Forsyth Dental Center. “This sent a clear message to other researchers in the U.S. that it was not good for their careers to look into the health effects of fluoride – particularly on the brain,” says Connett. Connett adds, “The result is that while the issue of fluoride’s impact on IQ is being aggressively pursued around the world, practically no work has been done in the U.S. or other fluoridating countries to repeat their findings. Sadly, health agencies in fluoridated countries seem to be more intent on protecting the fluoridation program than protecting children’s brains.” https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fluoride-in-water-linked-to-lower-iq-in-children-112261459.html
“The IAOMT (International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology) warns that fluoride is a dangerous chemical. Fluoride is not essential for human growth and development. In regard to fluoride dangers, it has been identified as one of 12 industrial chemicals known to cause developmental neurotoxicity in humans.” https://iaomt.org/resources/fluoride-facts/fluoride-dangers-dental-products/
“Fluorosis, as a global public health problem, has been receiving wide and deserving attention in recent years…Fluoride has been shown to be toxic, not only to the skeletal tissues, but also to the non-skeletal tissues such as the brain, liver, pancreas, endocrines and the kidney (1),(2).Fluoride can cross the blood brain barrier (3), and it can cause adverse effects on the brain cell architecture, metabolism, enzymes, the oxidant-antioxidant status and on neurotransmitters and overall adverse effects on the mental functions (4),(5),(6),(7).” http://www.jcdr.net/article_fulltext.asp?issn=0973-709x&year=2012&month=May&issue=4&id=2179
“Fluoride taken into the human body enters the bloodstream through the digestive tract.92 Most of the fluoride that is not released through urine is stored in the body. It is generally stated that 99% of this fluoride resides in the bone,93 where it is incorporated into the crystalline structure and accumulates over time.94 Thus, it is indisputable that the teeth and bones are tissues of the body that concentrate the fluoride to which we are exposed.” … “Exposure to excess fluoride in children is known to result in dental fluorosis, a condition in which the teeth enamel becomes irreversibly damaged and the teeth become permanently discolored, displaying a white or brown mottling pattern and forming brittle teeth that break and stain easily.96 It has been scientifically recognized since the 1940’s that overexposure to fluoride causes this condition, which can range from very mild to severe. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released in 2010, 23% of Americans aged 6-49 and 41% of children aged 12-15 exhibit fluorosis to some degree.97 ” https://files.iaomt.org/wp-content/uploads/IAOMT-Comprehensive-Review-on-Fluoride-in-Dental-Products.pdf
“As of September 2017, a total of 59 studies have investigated the relationship between fluoride and human intelligence, and over 40 studies have investigated the relationship fluoride and learning/memory in animals. Of these investigations, 52 of the 59 human studies have found that elevated fluoride exposure is associated with reduced IQ, while 45 animal studies have found that fluoride exposure impairs the learning and/or memory capacity of animals. The human studies, which are based on IQ examinations of over 12,000 children, provide compelling evidence that fluoride exposure during the early years of life can damage a child’s developing brain.” http://fluoridealert.org/studies/brain01/
“Fluoride is not a nutrient and has no biological function in the body. Furthermore, hundreds of research articles published over the past several decades have demonstrated potential harm to humans from fluoride at various levels of exposure, including levels currently deemed as safe. Scientific research has examined fluoride’s effect on the skeletal system in detail and has indicated a definitive link between fluoride exposure and skeletal fluorosis, as well as dental fluorosis (which is permanent damage to the developing tooth, is the first visible sign of fluoride toxicity, and is currently on the rise in the United States). Fluoride is also known to impact the cardiovascular, central nervous, digestive, endocrine, immune, integumentary, renal, and respiratory systems, and exposure to fluoride has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, infertility, and many other adverse health outcomes.” https://iaomt.org/wp-content/uploads/IAOMT-Fluoride-Position-Paper.pdf
“An official complaint is being put forth by FAN under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). It seeks to end the artificial fluoridation of water supplies in the U.S., and potentially worldwide, based on the scientific research proving that sodium fluoride, a byproduct of the nuclear industry, causes neurodegeneration. We also know that fluoride causes the calcification of the pineal gland, an important part of the endocrine system, as well as the gateway through which spiritual ascension is ignited.” http://econewsmedia.org/2017/07/28/groundbreaking-lawsuit-u-s-end-water-fluoridation-worldwide/
A Mother's Promise 