| " Dental fluorosis - white spotted, yellow, brown stained and/or pitted teeth - is a visual manifestation of fluoride overdose during childhood. Dental fluorosis afflicts from 1/3 to 1/2 of U.S. schoolchildren, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. (2) " " Inhabitants of the Davangere district of India were studied where natural water fluoride levels ranged from 1.5 to 3.0 parts-per-million (ppm) which is similar to fluoride levels allowed in U.S. water supplies (up to 4 ppm). The sample consisted of 1,029 subjects between 15- and 74-years-old. " " As the degree of dental fluorosis increased, periodontitis (advanced gum infection) increased. "The results suggest that there is a strong association of occurrence of periodontal disease in high-fluoride areas," write Vandana and Reddy. " " "Surprisingly, studies have not paid attention to the periodontal status in high-fluoride areas from a research perspective," the authors write. " " "In addition to inflammatory process, which remains common to high- and low-fluoride areas, the fluorosis induced changes in hard and soft tissues of periodontium requires ? attention to suspect fluoride as an etiological (environmental) agent for periodontal disease," the authors conclude. " " Two thirds of U.S. public water suppliers purposely add fluoride chemicals (silicofluorides) in an attempt to reduce tooth decay in tap water drinkers. Some U.S. communities have natural fluoride levels up to 4 ppm.. " " "How much longer
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