Products that are supposed to help maintain healthy teeth and gums, such as toothpaste and mouthwash, can actually cause more harm than good and even
increase the risk of developing cancer.
In a Jan. 7 piece,
NaturalHealth365 Managing Director Jonathan Landsman elaborated on the risks associated with using these oral care products.
"The pursuit of the 'perfect smile' tends to come at great sacrifice to [one's] health. That's because many of the oral hygiene products lining store shelves, including the multitude of toothpaste and mouthwash brands, actually contain toxic substances like fluoride and alcohol – which have been linked to an increased risk of cancer and other conditions," he wrote.
Landsman remarked that
fluoride is not a chemical the body needs – but an element whose toxicity "falls somewhere between arsenic and lead." This, he added, is "a good reason why fluoride toothpaste in the U.S. displays a 'poison warning' label." (Related:
Child health warning: Young children are using dangerous amounts of fluoride toothpaste.)
"One of the most common issues linked to fluoride in toothpaste is the crumbling of teeth enamel. This is especially a problem in areas where fluoride is already added to drinking water," Landsman noted. But according to the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), scientific studies have linked high levels of fluoride to a host of negative health effects. These include thyroid disorders, weakened bones, fractures, arthritis and impairment of the brain's development and function.
Too much fluoride can also increase the risk of developing chronic skeletal fluorosis.
Medical News Today defines skeletal fluorosis as the buildup of excess fluoride in the bones, causing stiffness and pain. In the most severe cases, ligaments can calcify – causing pain and trouble moving.
"The very products marketed as critical to good oral health are actually damaging teeth and gums, as well as causing secondary health problems," commented Landsman. "Some reactions can even be life-threatening."
Alcohol in mouthwash increases cancer risk
The
NaturalHealth365 managing director also pointed out that the alcohol in mouthwash can increase the risk of developing cancer. He wrote: "While toothpaste products attack your health with toxic fluoride, swirling a swig of mouthwash around in your mouth is posing another risk. The use of mouthwashes that contain alcohol as an ingredient can drastically increase your risk of cancers of the mouth, head and neck."
Landsman cited the findings of a study conducted by Australian researchers from the
University of Melbourne and the
University of Queensland School of Dentistry. They looked at the mouthwash-using habits of 3,210 people and compared it to the rates of mouth, head and neck cancers.
The researchers found that all participants in their study who used an alcohol-containing mouthwash at least once daily had a significantly
increased risk of cancer. The correlation was independent of other risk factors such as smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.
Natural health specialist Nadine Artemis pointed out this phenomenon during a speech at the Holistic Oral Health Summit, which Landsman created and organized.
"Even though we've got lots of periodontal choices at the drug store like fluoride floss and minty mouthwash, there is more dental decay than any previous century," she said. According to Artemis, the issue with toxic ingredients in oral care products formed part of a "triple threat" to oral health.
First, she cited the harms of improper root canals and tooth extractions. Second, she pointed to the lack of understanding about dental lymph fluid. Lastly, she called attention to the dangers of
harsh chemicals in toothpaste and mouthwash.
"It's actually a system that promotes tooth decay," Artemis concluded.
Watch FAN Executive Director Dr. Paul Connett
warns about the dangers of fluoride below.
This video is from the
Truth To Power channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Are you poisoning yourself with commercial toothpaste?
9 Toxic ingredients found in your mouthwash … Are you accidentally ruining your teeth?
CDC warns against too much fluoride in kids' toothpaste, ignores harms from fluoridated water.
The dangers of poor oral health and why conventional products and dentists often make it worse.
Here's why natural toothpaste is better than commercial toothpaste for supporting optimal oral health.
Sources include:
NaturalHealth365.com
MedicalNewsToday.com
Brighteon.com