Flouride Tablet Program

[PatienceAndLove]

Hello mamas!

I recently received a note from the school notifying me of a "flouride tablet program" in which they will be giving my child flouride.

This upsets me greatly- one, because I was never given a consent form to sign in order for the school to do this, and two... it just seems... wrong. I cannot really give more than that.

I am currently looking for information regarding the administration of such items to children, but I am also looking for infomation regarding administration of flouride to children.
I remember coming across information regarding how flouride can be poisonous, and the injestion of too much is dangerous.

This is my first foray into such research, and any help you mamas can give me would be wonderful.


Also- I just argued with my parents regarding this. "You and your sister have perfectly healthy teeth because we gave you flouride tablets". Great. However, YOU gave us those tablets, and NOT the schools (private schools don't do that sort of thing, it's not cost effective).

[Fyrestorm]

I would personally send in a letter opting out of it. We don't even use fluoride toothpaste in this house since it's so toxic.

Let me see if I can dig up some links for you.

[Fyrestorm]

First - did you know that fluoride is the main ingredient in MANY antidepressants? It changes behavior and brain chemistry.

http://www.relfe.com/07/fluoride_drug_dangers.html

http://www.articleclick.com/Article/...ection-/973328

[Two of the most commonly-prescribed antidepressants contain fluorinated compounds. These are Prozac and Paxil, the third and fifth most commonly-prescribed anti-depressants in America, respectively. Both of these are known as "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors", which means they work by preventing presynaptic transmission of serotonin to somal neurons. This means, Prozac and Paxil make increased levels of serotonin available for stimulating neurons in the brain, thus reducing symptoms of depression.[/quote]

There is more evidence against fluoride than there was against DDT when it was banned.
http://www.fannz.org.nz/pdfs/fannz_2007_flyer_final.pdf


http://www.fluoridealert.org/mullenix-interview.htm

[The study basically found three things. First of all, that if you put sodium fluoride in the drinking water of young animals, that with time - meaning a period of weeks in a rat's lifetime - they would develop changes in their behavioral patterns. And that pattern change was a hypoactivity pattern. They became slower, 'couch potatoes' if you like. But it was definitely a hypoactivity pattern. And it had a specific pattern to it which was very, very strikingly similar to the pattern that I had seen in substances or drugs that they used to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia in children, which clinically cause IQ deficits. And when I saw that specific pattern... that I was getting when I exposed animals to radiation or chemotherapy and steroids... that was very striking.[/quote]

My question is - are they trying to protect kids teeth or control their behavior?

[PatienceAndLove]

I am guessing that they are doing this under the guide of protecting the children's teeth.
I live in a rural district, and most of the families live on well-water, and are not on the city fluoridated water.

I am currently sifting through FDA and CDC articles.
Surprisingly, everything I am coming up with is in regards to using fluoride topically, and not swallowing it.

[Fyrestorm]

Here is a link to an article about one ok many cities that removed it from the water supply.

http://www.delrionewsherald.com/stor...647e86863c2eab

The paper stated, “Fluoride consumption by human beings increases the general cancer death rate.”

Lots of info here as well -

http://fluoridealert.org/health/epa/nrc/excerpts.html

“The effects of fluoride on various aspects of endocrine function should be examined further, particularly with respect to a possible role in the development of several diseases or mental states in the United States.” p224

Part of me wishes that I hadn't gone back through my links - this is making me sad all over again

[One_Girl]

Is it possible that you missed the consent form? Where I live they need a consent form to put neosporin on your child so it seems strange that they would just be doing this. The schools partnered with someone and offered H1N1 vaccinations to kids but we had to be very careful to only send the kids with the signed consent forms and they double checked the forms before giving the kids the shots. Everywhere is different though so I think you should call the school to make sure this won't be done without your consent and see what you need to do to opt out.

[April Dawn]

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Edited by April Dawn - 7/4/11 at 6:11am

[CarrieMF]

the schools here do a flouride rinse every Friday. You have to sign a consent form at the beginning of the year. It is on our registration form, next to the field trip and sex ed boxes.

My kids participate in it. They are old enough to know to not swallow it. We do not have flouridated water here. We do use flouridated toothpaste.

[ecoteat]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

My question is - are they trying to protect kids teeth or control their behavior?

Do you REALLY think most schools are informed enough about the side effects of ingesting fluoride to consciously plan to control kids' behavior by using it? Really?

I teach in a school that offers a fluoride rinse to kids. At the beginning of the year a sign-up form goes home. In the younger grades, at least half the kids' parents sign them up for the weekly rinses. By middle school (my kids), only a few take it. Last year the nurse would give them to me to distribute to my kids. How odd that I kept forgetting to pass them out though! Now there is a huge pile of fluoride cups in my drawer, and it's to the point now that I'm not sure what to do with them since throwing them out would be noticed, and even if I'm not thrilled with the kids using it, I also can't bear to throw away something the school spent money on.

[stellimamo]

Originally Posted by ecoteat

Do you REALLY think most schools are informed enough about the side effects of ingesting fluoride to consciously plan to control kids' behavior by using it? Really?

I teach in a school that offers a fluoride rinse to kids. At the beginning of the year a sign-up form goes home. In the younger grades, at least half the kids' parents sign them up for the weekly rinses. By middle school (my kids), only a few take it. Last year the nurse would give them to me to distribute to my kids. How odd that I kept forgetting to pass them out though! Now there is a huge pile of fluoride cups in my drawer, and it's to the point now that I'm not sure what to do with them since throwing them out would be noticed, and even if I'm not thrilled with the kids using it, I also can't bear to throw away something the school spent money on.

Are you not giving the fluoride treatments to the children whose parents signed them up to have it done?

[Fyrestorm]

Originally Posted by ecoteat

Do you REALLY think most schools are informed enough about the side effects of ingesting fluoride to consciously plan to control kids' behavior by using it? Really?

.

While I am a member in good standing of the national tin foil hat club, I try to not see conspiracies everywhere. However, these edicts don't come from the school itself. They are usually brought to the attention of the school board by someone with an agenda. Do they give the people in charge all the pertinent info - no way. Do they still manage to achieve the goal - well, obviously, yes. I would never give or use a rinse, but pills would be MUCH more dangerous.

[PatienceAndLove]

If it was a fluoride rinse, I don't think I would be as upset.
But this seems to be a chewable tablet- and my brief research has shown that rinses are far more effective than the chewable tablets, and the tablets can actually lead to issues with teeth...

[eepster]

I would put aside the question of whether or not fluoride is good or bad (and the whole topical vs ingestion can of worms,) focusing on the fluoride itself is a red herring. The problem is they want to medicate children with out medical authority.

I would focus on the fact that simply deciding to give any kind of medication to children whose medical histories you don't have full access to is a huge giant mistake. Just for starters, I would expect that many parents give their kids the vitamins the pediatrician told them to, which already contain fluoride. The school giving them out so blithely is likely to be double dosing quite a few kids. Other students may have medical problems that the school is unaware of like thyroid conditions that make taking any fluoride a bad idea.

I would view this sort of thing as worth a visit to the principal, not just something you send a note in about. The heart of the issue to me is that the school doesn't seem to be viewing fluoride as a medication. I would try to get them to view it in the same light as if they sent a note home saying they were going to be handing out antihistamines to the entire student body.

If I actually did want to give DS fluoride tablets, I (his parent) would have to get a prescription from his pediatrician or his dentist. Fluoride isn't even an OTC drug, as most antihistamines or pain relievers are. I am rather shocked that the school has actually managed to get a hold of the tablets without prescriptions.

[littlest birds]

If you signed a general consent form for the school nurse/ health services at the beginning of the year, this may be under the umbrella of that consent.

I used to refuse to sign the consent for any nurse care at school. Later I changed it to say only basic first aid or essential emergency services.

They have a long list of various health services and exams on their consent forms, and even include immunizations on the list although they do send an additional consent form if they do any. The whole thing freaks me out even so.

[luv-my-boys]

It seems typical here of schools to offer a fluoride program although it rarely lasts due to funding. Personally I opt out of it because I dont want the school involved/participating in my childs medical services (I also opt out of vision, hearing,etc but we do them privately with our family doc instead) I think all you need to do is inform the school that you do not want your child to participate in the program. For my younger child on those "screening" days I make sure I use a piece of masking tape applied to his shirt say "no vision test" or whatnot and remind the teacher.

[caned & able]

I do not think any school should be participating in any kind of medical/dental/health project that involves ingesting something.

I would object if the school were sending home vitamin C or chamomile herbs. Really, think about it. Why is the school district medicating your child? Some one has an agenda here. Schools are supposed to teach your child to read, write and do math, and little else. This is another reason the home schooling movement has taken off.

If you are into crafts, did you know that sodium fluoride is used for etching glass? Sodium Fluoride cannot be kept in glass containers because it will leech out of the glass.

[MountainMamaGC]

I would not only tell them they are not allowed to give my child fluoride, but I would email other parents telling them the potential dangers of fluoride so they can make an informed choice about it too.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by ecoteat

Last year the nurse would give them to me to distribute to my kids. How odd that I kept forgetting to pass them out though! Now there is a huge pile of fluoride cups in my drawer, and it's to the point now that I'm not sure what to do with them since throwing them out would be noticed, and even if I'm not thrilled with the kids using it, I also can't bear to throw away something the school spent money on.

I would start refusing to take the cups from the nurse. You could state "I'm a teacher, not a medical provider, and I do not want to be responsible to make sure a potentially toxic treatment is administered correctly."

Simply forgetting to give the treatments feels in many ways as problematic as the OP's school just deciding to give the tablets without consulting the parents. These students parents believe their child is getting something they aren't, and there may be consequences from that that we can't foresee.