Awareness

Health Hazard

Scientific Evidence

Certainty* of hazard in humans

Dental fluorosis(a physiological effect, not simply cosmetic)

Extensive clinical and epidemiological studies on humans

Certain; widely acknowledged by dental researchers

Skeletal fluorosis, which involves calcification of bones and joints and abnormal bone growth

Large body of clinical and a few epidemiological studies in naturally fluoridated areas of India, China, Persian Gulf and Africa†

Certain, but ignored by many pro-fluoridationists, early stages of disease almost indistinguishable from arthritis

Hip and other bone fractures, mostly in older people

Majority of 20 epidemiological studies on humans in several countries

Very probable; pro-fluoridationists focus on the few studies that show no effect

Hypersensitivity reactions

One epidemiological (double blind) and large body of clinical studies (blind)

Observed in about 1 per cent of population

Brain damage with corresponding decrease in IQ

Animal pathologies plus animal and human behavioural experiments

Possible

Genetic mutations and chromosome aberrations

Animal and in vitro experiments

Possible