February 20th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Expert Interviews
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I read a recent article about an ongoing debate in Great Britain: whether or not to include fluoride in the water supply. In the United States, we began adding tiny amounts of this naturally occurring substance to the water supplies over 60 years ago. In fact, as much as 75% of the drinking water in the US is artificially fluoridated, and the purpose is to improve the health of our teeth. I was wondering what the research shows about the need for additional fluoride in our diet, and if there are any risks posed by fluoridation of our water supplies. I asked Revolution Health dental expert, Dr. Andres Garcia, what he thought about this issue. Here are his thoughts:
Dr. Val: Is there compelling evidence that adding fluoride to our water system is beneficial for teeth?
Dr. Garcia: Numerous studies by the ADA have shown that a decrease in cavity exposures of 20-40% can be expected when water is fluoridated in communities. In 1999, the CDC listed fluoride as one of the ten great public health achievements of the 20th century. The current goal by the USPHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) is to have 75% of the drinking water in the U.S. fluoridated to optimum levels by 2010.
Dr. Val: how do people get the benefits from fluoridated water exactly?
Dr. Garcia:You get the benefits from drinking fluoridated water in two ways, systemically and topically. Systemically, small children ingest fluoride as the teeth are forming. The fluoride is incorporated into the enamel and causes the enamel to be stronger and more resistant to decay. After the teeth have erupted, fluoride has a topical action. Fluoride from toothpaste, water, or other sources bathe the teeth, and the fluoride ions reverse tooth damage from decay and harden the enamel to resist further decay. The optimum fluoride intake is a combination of ingestion of fluoride before the teeth erupt and subsequent topical application after eruption.
Dr. Val: Is there any risk associated with too much fluoride?
Dr. Garcia: Fluoride toxicity can occur if people are exposed to high concentrations of the substance over long periods of time, though the water supply is closely monitored to ensure that the concentrations are well within acceptable limits. Fluoride toxicity is called “fluorosis.” If toxic amounts of fluoride are ingested when a child is young, the teeth will be weakened when they form. (This is counter intuitive because small amounts of fluoride strengthen the teeth, but large amounts weaken the teeth.) When the teeth erupt into the mouth, the enamel is very thin and breaks easily. The teeth are also prone to cavities. They will have a brown “mottled” appearance. Bones are also susceptible to fluorosis. Excess fluoride is stored in the bone, and the bones can be brittle and more prone to fractures.
Dr. Val: So if small amounts of fluoride are good for us, why are the British so hesitant to add it to their water supplies?
Dr. Garcia: Many European countries, such as Britain, have been slow to adopt fluoride supplementation due to high levels of other natural sources providing an adequate amount of fluoride in the diet. Tea has been shown to contain from 1ppm to 6.5ppm fluoride concentration. In the U.S., the recommended concentration of fluoride is 1.0-1.2ppm/day as recommended by the USPHS. So regular tea drinkers get enough fluoride naturally. There is also strong anti-fluoride opposition in the public with fears of “forced immunization” and possible adverse health side effects.
Dr. Val: Should people living in areas where the water supply is not fluoridated take additional steps to get more fluoride?
Dr. Garcia: Areas that lack fluoridated drinking water should seek other sources for optimal fluoride intake. The best way is to contact your dentist or pediatrician. Supplements in the form of pills or topical gels can be prescribed to supplement a lack of fluoride. Care must be taken to avoid over supplementation. If the community receives its drinking water from an underground source, they may already be ingesting a higher level of fluoride than is necessary. Toothpaste is also a good source of fluoride. Care must be used in infants as they swallow the toothpaste unknowingly.
Dr. Val: What about those additional fluoride treatments that I had as a child? Are those really necessary?
Dr. Garica: Fluoride should only be used in individuals at high risk for cavities. Kids with braces, a high caries rate, adults with xerostomia, these are ideal candidates for fluoride use. I have all patients learn about fluoride and they make a choice for themselves. I personally will not use anything stronger than an OTC toothpaste for myself and family. Fluoride is a known toxic substance that irreversibly binds to the hard tissues of the body. I am wary of the long term effects of any non essential diet supplement. It is equal to taking antibiotics constantly to stave off a possible infection. Good oral hygiene will keep an individual cavity free. Only in rare cases is someone genetically predisposed to cavities. It is usually a consequence of diet (refined foods) and poor oral hygiene that causes the decay.
For more information, check out Revolution Health’s Dental Health Center
.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
February 18th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in News
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As an animal lover, I was saddened to read that little brown bats are dying in droves in New York State. It appears to be related to warmer temperatures, causing a fungal overgrowth in the caves, which is making them sick. In addition, the poor little creatures wake up from their hibernation early, only to find that there are no insects to eat yet. They burn through the last bits of winter fat looking for their first meal, and end up dying of starvation.
In our delicate ecosystem, the loss of the bat population is a boon for mosquitoes that can spread the West Nile Virus to humans. So although warmer winters may seem like a welcome change, there are other animals who don’t adapt so well. So this summer if the extra mosquito bites drive you batty – you’ll know why.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
February 17th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in True Stories
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As many of my regular readers know, my dear friend and Revolution Health administrative assistant (Seton) was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer after giving birth to her first baby. She is doing well on chemotherapy, and working hard to shrink the liver tumors to a size that will allow her to have them cut out, and possibly be cured. On March 9th she’ll be participating in a Race for Colon Cancer walk/run in Central Park, and I’ll be joining her. This weekend I came to New York to practice the 4 mile run with a girlfriend of mine (Karen). Here’s what happened…
As I set out to meet my girlfriend at the southwest corner of Central Park, I became keenly aware that my light windbreaker/t-shirt combo was ill equipped to protect me against the icy wind chill. It was 8:30 in the morning, and as I bowed my head in the face of frigid temperatures, tears streamed down my cheeks while urban grit blew the very moisture out of my eyes. “Whose idea was this?” I asked myself, marveling at the occasional onlooker, bundled head to toe with hats, mittens and face masks. “Oh, yeah – mine. What was I thinking? Why didn’t I look at the weather report?”
About half a mile between my departure point and destination, I began to realize that my ears were in danger of freezing off. “I’ve got to find a hat” I thought… glancing at Citibank headquarters to the right and Meryl Lynch to the left. Where could one find a hat at this time of day, and in this neighborhood? Hmmm… a 24 hour pharmacy perhaps? As I marched towards what appeared to be a distant pharmacy I began thinking of ways to make a hat from cotton strips, Ace bandages, or maybe a shower cap. Severe cold can make a desperate mind exceedingly creative.
As I temporarily thawed myself in the warmth of the pharmacy, I began my search for a head covering. A fleeting moment of triumph gave way to disappointment when a hot pink Santa’s “little princess” elf hat (buried in a discount bin) proved to have the inelastic circumference suitable for a very small child or canine companion. But if there’s one kiddie hat in here, there must be others, I thought. So I combed through the drug store stock with a hopeful eye.
Ah-hah! I discovered a virtual treasure trove of kiddie hats, pinned to the backside of a pillar near the deodorant aisle. Of course, they were each painfully pediatric – with neon colors, gold stars, and little plastic Hello Kitty and Barney type effigies. But, I could see that they were stretchy, and came with some tiny gloves created to be a “one size fits most.” Worried that my girlfriend would have to wait in the cold for me, I hurriedly made my purchase, tore the tags off the hot pink hat and forced it down over the top half of my ears. The gloves covered my four fingers and half my thumb.
I arrived at our meeting place just in time. My girlfriend approached with a quizzical expression, noting the large “Strawberry Shortcake” girl (inside a plastic heart) emblazoned on my hat. I could see that she wondered if my fashion sense had taken a turn for the worse since my move from NYC to Washington, DC two years prior.
I assured her that I had no intention of wearing the hat again, but that desperate times called for desperate measures. She stood in front of me in a full running suit, complete with a layer of long johns, ear muffs, and two layers of Goretex. I felt utterly unprepared in my light cotton shirt and Lycra pants – but at least now that my head was half-covered, I figured that running would keep me from freezing to death outright.
And so we set off on a 4.5 mile jaunt, a hilly distance that neither of us had run in over a year. I had tried to prepare for this day with elliptical training, but wasn’t sure that my cardiovascular reserves would handle this new form of exercise.
Much to our surprise, the icy wind quickly numbed all sensation in our legs, allowing us to jog without much awareness of potential pain or exhaustion. We soon settled into a nice, slow jogging rhythm and took turns catching up on one another’s news. My uphill breathlessness tended to shorten my usually animated description of life-events, reducing me to caveman-like accounts. “Me take new job at hospital. Good.” Though I did much better on the downhill stretches.
In the end my girlfriend and I felt quite triumphant about the fact that we made it the full 4.5 miles without a break. We both knew that another 3 weeks of training should put us in good standing for the Colon Cancer Challenge, though my friend suggested that if I wore the Strawberry Shortcake hat again, she might pretend that she didn’t know me.
Today, of course, all my leg muscles are sore – but it’s nothing compared to what Seton is going through with her chemotherapy. I wish her all the best in her fight against cancer, and hope that my participation in the Colon Cancer Challenge will provide her with some encouragement, if not comic relief.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
February 14th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Uncategorized
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Happy Valentine’s Day folks – hope you have some great plans tonight with your significant other… but if not, [insert hopeful grin], why not join me, crzegrl and Jenni from Chronic Babe at the Dr. Anonymous show tonight (Feb 14th from 9-10pm EST)? We’re going to be talking about gender differences in medicine, romantic patient stories, and the importance of good relationships. There’s a live chat feature, a call in number, and a video feed of our host, Dr. Anonymous.
I hope to see a few of you there in the chat room or calling in! If you can’t make it, check out the podcast link tomorrow on Dr. Anonymous’ website.
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
February 10th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Uncategorized
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I am so excited to see that we now have more than 1000 people working together to lose up to 20 pounds by spring. Why are people flocking to this group? Here are my thoughts:
1. People want to lose weight (this is my “no, duh” point)
2. Support groups help people with accountability – the Hawthorne effect (people work harder when they’re being watched) is powerful and we’re using it to our advantage.
3. The people in my group are really cool – they have creative ideas and are always encouraging one another to strive harder.
4. The activity tracker is fun – you can fill out a daily check box regarding your diet and exercise compliance.
5. I can offer medical information and guidance when necessary, plus I’m an enthusiastic cheerleader.
6. It’s free and really easy to use.
7. We’re using the American Heart Association fitness guidelines as part of a comprehensive weight loss strategy.
At this point in the year, at least one third of people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions… but the trick is not to wait another year to get back on track. If you’re struggling with weight loss goals, why not join me and 1000+ other motivated people who want to make long term habits that will get us all to a healthier place? We have weekly challenges, and share everything from recipes to pet photos. Come on in, the water’s warm!This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
