THE ADA MISLEADS THE PUBLIC:
In the following series of e-mails between ZWA's Lynn Landes and American Dental Association (ADA) employees Jann Ingmire and Anita Mark. Ingmire refutes news reports broadcast around the nation that unfluoridated bottled water may cause cavities, even though it appears that the ADA was responsible for the story and promoted it on the ADA website.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lynnlandes@earthlink.net [SMTP:lynnlandes@earthlink.net]
> Sent: Friday, January 01, 1999 2:20 PM
> To: mediarelations
> Subject: Unfluoridated bottled water
>
> Are there any studies that support the concerns expressed in the article
> below that unfluoridated bottled water may lead to cavaties?
>
> http://www.ada.org/adapco/daily/archives/9805/0504watr.htm
Lynn Landes
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
To: 'lynnlandes@earthlink.net' <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
Cc: Peterson Fred <petersonf@ada.org>
Date: Thursday, January 07, 1999 11:17 AM
Subject: RE: Unfluoridated bottled water
>No. There are no studies that show there has been an increase in cavities
>due to anything....especially bottled water. Some of the reports in the
>media have been erroneous. Thanks for your inquiry.
>
>Jann Ingmire
>manager, Media Services
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: ZeroWasteAmerica <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
To: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
Date: Thursday, January 07, 1999 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: Unfluoridated bottled water
>Thank you for your frank reply. Will the ADA take steps to discredit this
>story? The media is already beginning to notice the inherent conflict in
>recent reports on fluoride exposure. See -
>http://www.seattletimes.com/news/lifestyles/html98/fluo_010699.html
>
>Lynn Landes
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
To: 'ZeroWasteAmerica' <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 11:20 AM
Subject: RE: Unfluoridated bottled water
>The short answer to your question is: no.
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: ZeroWasteAmerica <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
To: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: Unfluoridated bottled water
>Perhaps I used the wrong word (discredit). Will the ADA issue a public
>clarification on the issue of unfluoridated bottled water and any
connection to a possible increase of cavities in children?
>
>Lynn Landes
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
To: 'ZeroWasteAmerica' <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 12:47 PM
Subject: RE: Unfluoridated bottled water
>We address the issue of fluoride and bottled water in one of our consumer
>brochures and in a q and a on the website. I don't know that we have any
>plans as of right now to issue any kind of statement saying there is no
>increase in cavities. I'm sure we'll be discussing that possibility
again.
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: ZeroWasteAmerica <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
To: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 1:28 PM
Subject: Re: Unfluoridated bottled water
>Would you please mail to me the brochure you mentioned and e-mail me the
>url you are referring to regarding q & a's. I must admit, the whole issue
>over determining fluoride exposure by only considering fluoride exposure from
>drinking or bottled water misses the point that the ADA has made in other
>articles and in JADA, which is that fluoride can be found in any food or
>beverage made with fluoridated water. Due to the fact that over 60% of
>municipal water systems are fluoridated, isn't it impossible for dentists
>to determine or control their patients' fluoride exposure. Or am I missing
>something?
>
>Lynn Landes
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
To: 'ZeroWasteAmerica' <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 2:03 PM
Subject: RE: Unfluoridated bottled water
>I'll mail the information to you. (I received your second e-mail with the
>pertinent information.) As I understand it, dentists can come up with an
>educated estimate on how much fluoride a patient is getting if they have all
>available facts. The bottled water story seems to have a life of its own.
>It is amazing to us at the ADA. Thanks for your interest.
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: ZeroWasteAmerica <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
To: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 2:20 PM
Subject: Re: Unfluoridated bottled water
>Jann: I don't want to be argumentative, but there is literally no way for
>dentists to know how much fluoride is in the food and beverages a patient
>consumes. These products are not labeled for fluoride content. Surely, the
>ADA is aware of this. JADA has published articles since at least 1995 on
>just this subject. Please visit the ZWA webpage for fluoride, if you doubt
>my information.
>
>Lynn Landes
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
To: 'ZeroWasteAmerica' <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 2:37 PM
Subject: RE: Unfluoridated bottled water
>I hear what you're saying! I've read those JADA articles, too! The ADA is
>a proponent of the public health benefits of fluoride and fluoridated water
>supplies in fighting tooth decay. I'll send you our materials and you can
>review them. Thanks!
>
>Jann
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: ZeroWasteAmerica <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
To: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 4:15 PM
Subject: Re: Unfluoridated bottled water
>Jann: Are you saying that the ADA's position is that a dentist can determine
>a patient's total exposure to fluoride from sources that include fluoridated
>municipal water, dental products, and foods and beverages?
>
>Lynn
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: ZeroWasteAmerica <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
To: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
Date: Saturday, January 09, 1999 9:58 AM
Subject: Re: Unfluoridated bottled water
>Jann: I would like to point out one other thing that you said which confuses
>me. You said, "The bottled water story seems to have a life of its own. It
>is amazing to us at the ADA."
>
>Why it should amaze the ADA? The ADA posted the story on its own website.
>http://www.ada.org/adapco/daily/archives/9805/0504watr.html. The article
>quotes Dr. Michael Easley, an ADA spokesperson on fluoride issues, and Dr.
>Lynn Mouden, vice-chairman, ADA Council on Access, Prevention and
>Interprofessional Relations is quoted in the story.
>
>Didn't the story begin with ADA officials and isn't the ADA contributing to
>the circulation of a story for which you have said, "There are no studies
>that show there has been an increase in cavities due to anything....especially
>bottled water. Some of the reports in the media have been erroneous"?
>
>Lynn Landes
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Ingmire Jann <ingmirej@ada.org>
To: 'ZeroWasteAmerica' <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
Date: Monday, January 11, 1999 9:40 AM
Subject: RE: Unfluoridated bottled water
>Lynn: If you are a media representative, I will be glad to continue to
>provide information to you. Otherwise, please direct your inquiries to
>public information. Thanks very much.
>
>Jann Ingmire
CONVERSATIONS WITH ANITA MARK, EMPLOYEE OF ADA PUBLISHING AND AUTHOR OF ADA'S BOTTLED WATER STORY
-----Original Message-----
From: lynnlandes@earthlink.net [SMTP:lynnlandes@earthlink.net]
Sent: Friday, January 01, 1999 2:19 PM
To: publicinfo
Subject: Unfluoridated bottled water
Name: Lynn Landes
Message: Are there any studies that support the concerns expressed in the
article below that unfluoridated bottled water may lead to cavities?
http://www.ada.org/adapco/daily/archives/9805/0504watr.html
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Anita <marka@ada.org>
To: 'lynnlandes@earthlink.net' <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
Date: Tuesday, January 05, 1999 6:06 PM
Subject: RE: Unfluoridated bottled water
Dear Lynn,
The ADA News story was intended as a notice to dentists that they should ask
their patients about bottled water consumption, as this can diminish the
fluoride intake in areas with a fluoridated public water supply.
Fluoridation of public water supplies has long been proven as an effective
means to reducing the incidence of tooth decay through decades of research
and more than 45 years of practical experience. To review more of the
infomration provided by the ADA on the value of water fluoridation, go to
http://www.ada.org/consumer/fluoride/facts/ff-01.html
To review whether there has been reseach on this topic, you may want to go
to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Oral Health Division also may have some data concern the effect
of bottled water consumption on oral health. You can find the CDC's
homepage at http://www.cdc.gov/
I hope this is helpful.
_____________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: ZeroWasteAmerica <lynnlandes@earthlink.net>
To: Mark Anita <marka@ada.org>
Date: Tuesday, January 05, 1999 6:19 PM
Subject: Re: Unfluoridated bottled water
Mark: In the interest of sharing information on Fluoride, please visit our
Fluoride webpage: http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/Fluoride.htm.
After reviewing the information, you may draw the conclusion that the
problem patients face is overexposure to fluoride, rather than the reverse.
Ironically, most of the evidence supporting that conclusion has been
provided by dental and government studies and reports.
Lynn Landes, Director
Zero Waste America
BACK TO FLUORIDE