Fluoride speakers were providing latest evidence

IN his letter (ODT, 20.9.18), Stuart Mathieson likened Dr Connett, the guest speaker at a recent public session on fluoridation, to a magician producing rabbits from his hat.

He also stated that ‘‘academics and scientists heads are full of established knowledge’’, and these have proven the safety of fluoridation ‘‘many times over’’.

Many, many years ago, the established knowledge of the day was that the earth was flat and the sun went around Earth.

Anyone who thought or taught otherwise about this was ridiculed and often severely punished.

It seems this still applies to those who question and disprove the ‘‘established knowledge’’ of fluoridation and who have done new studies which indicate that fluoride does indeed damage the developing brains of our young and yettobe born children.

The three speakers at the session at Otago University — Drs Paul Connett, Vyvian Wyatt and Declan Waugh — are in fact very highly qualified and practising scientists from the United Kingdom.

Rather than campaigning, they were simply giving us the most uptodate scientific studies, with all the facts and figures.

In fluoridated areas, the estimated lowering of a child’s IQ by five to seven points is a very serious claim which screams out for even more consideration and research.

‘‘Established knowledge’’ is not necessarily safe or accurate science. There is truth in the saying ‘‘the science is never settled’’. All expectant and new parents should be concerned for new research to prove what is best for their children and the community.

Freedom of choice — or lack of it — is another concern. Why must we all be mass medicated when it is well established that, for children’s teeth, topical application with fluoride toothpaste is much more effective than ingested fluoride?

Dosage needs to be considered too. A baby on infant formula using tap water is getting a very much higher dose of toxic fluoride than a larger child or adult. Jennifer Drew

Dunedin