Dentist Groups Use Tobacco and Chemical Industry Playbook to Attack Science and Scientists Finding Fluoride Lowers IQ

NORTH SUTTON, N.H., May 7, 2023 --The Fluoride Action Network (FAN) has issued a report on the reaction of dental lobby groups to the release of a long-delayed government report on fluoride's effects on children's developing brains. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) report found 52 of 55 human studies showed lower child IQ with higher fluoride.

FAN uncovered, through Freedom of Information, emails showing fluoride-promoting government and private dental organizations have resorted to the tactics of industries—especially the lead industry—to defend against scientific evidence of harm.

The dental interests launched their own studies led by fluoridation-promoting dentists with no background in toxicology, brain development, or IQ, which predictably found no effect (Broadbent 2015, Miranda 2021, Do 2022, Kumar 2023). Two German studies hid their conflicts of interest (Guth 2020, Guth 2021). The senior authors have undeclared ties to toothpaste manufacturers, pharmaceutical, sugary beverage, processed food, and chemical industries.

Shoot The Messenger

The dental interests have gone further and copied the most egregious tactic of the lead industry: attacking independent scientists with baseless accusations of scientific misconduct. Thirty years ago the lead industry used this against the leading researcher on the effects of childhood lead on IQ, Dr. Herbert Needleman (Needleman 1979, Needleman 1982, Needleman 2004).

Needleman was always vindicated but the attacks took a toll on him personally and greatly hampered his ability to conduct research (Bill Moyers 2002 video, Denworth 2008, Markowitz 2013). Dental interests are now using this tactic against scientists who conducted the most rigorous fluoride-IQ studies. Not satisfied to attack just one scientist, the dental interests lodged formal complaints against all nine members of a research team from five different universities. All five universities completely exonerated the scientists, but their work was severely disrupted by the need to defend themselves against the false accusations, on top of the personal stress that accompanies charges that can wreck a scientific career. The fluoridation advocates that filed the complaints had been advised by their own legal counsel that the accusations were false, yet they filed them anyway.

With the same unsavory tactics trying to undermine the science, and the same toxic effect of lowering children's IQ, it can be said: "Fluoride is the New Lead".

SOURCE Fluoride Action Network