W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. "Doctor, I'd suggest fluoride treatment to protect your teeth," my dentist said. I agreed. After all, I'd been told since I was knee-high that fluoride prevents cavities. I've also used fluoride toothpaste for years. But I recently decided to do some research on this topic to see if there was a downside to this treatment. Now I also know why Montreal men are better lovers than those in Toronto. William, a 3-year-old Brooklyn boy, had his first dental checkup in 1974. Fluoride gel was spread over his teeth. Following that he was handed a glass of water by the dental hygienist who failed to inform him to swish the solution in his mouth and spit it out. Instead, he drank the water and a few hours later he was dead from fluoride poisoning. Fluoride is an acute toxin with a toxicity rating higher than lead. Next, I discovered that 98 percent of Europe is fluoride-free. Sweden, Germany, Norway, Holland, Denmark, and France stopped using fluoridation over 25 years ago. These are not backward nations. In 1980, a New Zealand dentist, an ardent supporter of fluoride therapy, was sent by the government on a world tour to study fluoridation. He returned an outspoken critic of the treatment. Later in 1999, Dr. Hardy Limeback, Professor of Dentistry at the University of Toronto, and former supporter of fluoridation, reported that fluoride may be destroying our bones, teeth, and overall health. He claimed that children under three should never use fluoridated toothpaste, nor drink fluoridated water. And mothers should never use Toronto's tap water to prepare baby formula. The sole argument favoring fluoridation is that it reduces tooth decay. But several studies involving as many as 480,000 children found no beneficial difference between fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities. In fact, one study showed decay was greater in the fluoridated area! Moreover, dental health in Europe has improved since 1970 without fluoride. Most parents are unaware of dental fluorosis, a discoloration of teeth due to excess fluoride. In 1940 this mottling condition occurred in 10 percent of children's teeth. Today in some areas, it's as high as 55 percent. One reason is that children's toothpaste tastes good and they swallow too much of it. Dental fluorosis is the first indication that the body is getting excess fluoride. But bones also collect fluoride and can develop skeletal fluorosis. Since 1990, numerous studies have reported an association between fluoridated water and hip fractures. Fluoridation is also known to increase osteoporosis (brittle bones). In 1992, a U.S. study found a strong link between fluoridation and osteosarcoma, a bone cancer in young males. The rates of this malignancy were three to seven times higher in fluoridated areas. Other studies in China show reduced IQ in children overexposed to fluoride from drinking water. Further effects include decreased concentration, memory loss, and confusion. There's also concern that fluoridation is implicated in Alzheimer's disease since fluoride combines with aluminum to cross the blood brain barrier. I didn't know that Torontonians have double the fluoride levels in their hipbones compared to Montrealers, whose city water is not fluoridated. Studies also show that fluoride causes decreased levels of sperm and testosterone. I wonder if that explains the rumor that they make love in Montreal while Torontonians only think about making money. Carl Sagan, the noted astronomer, was right when discussing "authoritarian" judgments. He remarked that "arguments from authority do not count; too many authorities have been mistaken too often." There is no convincing reason why water should contain 1.5 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride when our bodies have no use for it, and when its risk is greater than its benefit. Toothpaste has up to 1,500 ppm, and treatment in a dentist's office another whopping 10,000 to 20,000 ppm! Besides, unlike calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients, our bodies do not need fluoride. The best solution is to ban fluoridation of water and buy toothpaste without fluoride. After all, the first rule of medicine is "Do no harm." I finally found a non-fluoride toothpaste in a health food store. And I imagine you've guessed what I'll say when next asked, "Do you want the fluoride treatment?"