Summation - Allergy/Hypersensitivity to Fluoride: (Click for more detail)

As acknowledged by the Physicians' Desk Reference, some individuals are hypersensitive to fluoride.

Hypersensitive reactions to fluoride have been reported for both topical fluorides & ingested fluorides. The largest, government-funded, clinical trial found that 1% of people ingesting 1 mg fluoride tablets exhibited allergic/hypersensitive reactions to fluoride.

Symptoms of allergic/hypersensitive reactions have been reported to include: skin rashes (e.g. dermatitis, urticaria, eczema); mouth lesions (canker sores); gastric distress; headache; joint pain; weakness; visual disturbances; and lethargy.

PHYSICIANS' DESK REFERENCE - Allergy/Hypersensitivity to Fluoride:

"In hypersensitive individuals, fluorides occasionally cause skin eruptions such as atopic dermatitis, eczema or urticaria. Gastric distress, headache and weakness have also been reported. These hypersensitivity reactions usually disappear promptly after discontinuation of the fluoride."
SOURCE: PHYSICIANS' DESK REFERENCE, 1994, 48th Edition, p. 2335-6.

“There are a few case reports of GI upset in subjects exposed to drinking water fluoridated at 1 mg/L. Those effects were observed in only a small number of cases, which suggest hypersensitivity. However, the available data are not robust enough to determine whether that is the case.”
SOURCE: National Research Council. (2006). Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards. National Academies Press, Washington D.C. p250.

Estimated Incidence - Allergy/Hypersensitivity to Fluoride:

"One percent of our cases reacted adversely to the fluoride. By the use of placebos, it was definitely established that the fluoride and not the binder was the causative agent. These reactions, occurring in gravid women and in children of all ages in the study group affected the dermatologic, gastro-intestinal and neurological systems. Eczema, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, epigastric distress, emesis, and headache have all occurred with the use of fluoride and disappeared upon the use of placebo tablets, only to recur when the fluoride tablet was, unknowingly to the patient, given again. When adverse reactions occur, the therapy can be readily discontinued and the patient or parent advised of the fact that sensitivity exists and the element is to be avoided as much as possible."
SOURCE: Feltman R, Kosel G. (1961). Prenatal and postnatal ingestion of fluorides - Fourteen years of investigation - Final report. Journal of Dental Medicine 16: 190-99.

Effect of Water Fluoridation - Skin Problems:

Following the termination of water fluoridation, "the significant decrease in the number of other skin rashes leaves room for speculation, seeming to favor the view that a small segment of the population may have some kind of intolerance to fluoride. This group of people should be studied further. The most frequently reported symptoms that disappeared from the time of actual to known discontinuation of fluoridation seemed to be itching and dryness of the skin."
SOURCE: Lamberg M, Hausen H, Vartiainen T. (1997). Symptoms experienced during periods of actual and supposed water fluoridation. Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology 25(4):291-5.

Online Full-Text Papers - Reviews:

FULL TEXT - html: Spittle B. (1993). Allergy and hypersensitivity to fluoride. Fluoride 26:267-73.

EXCERPT - html: Prival MJ. (1972). Fluorides and human health. Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington D.C. pp. 23-25.

Online Full-Text Papers - Allergic Reactions to Topical Fluorides:

FULL TEXT - html: Mellette JR, et al. (1983). Perioral dermatitis. Journal of the Association of Military Dermatologists 9: 3-8.

FULL TEXT - html: Mellette JR, et al. (1976). Fluoride tooth paste: A cause of perioral dermatitis. Archives of Dermatology 112: 730-731.

FULL TEXT - html: Saunders MA. (1975). Fluoride toothpastes: A cause of acne-like eruptions. Archives of Dermatology 111: 793.

FULL TEXT - html: Shea JJ, et al. (1967). Allergy to fluoride. Annals of Allergy 25:388-91.

FULL TEXT - html: Waldbott GL. (1958). Allergic Reactions from Fluorides. International Archives of Allergy 12: 347-355.

FULL TEXT - html: Douglas TE. (1957). Fluoride dentifrice and stomatitis. Northwest Medicine 56: 1037-1039.

Online Full-Text Papers - Allergic Reactions to Ingested Fluorides:

FULL TEXT - html: Shea JJ, et al. (1967). Allergy to fluoride. Annals of Allergy 25:388-91.

FULL TEXT - html: Waldbott GL. (1958). Allergic Reactions from Fluorides. International Archives of Allergy 12: 347-355.

EXCERPT - html: Feltman R. (1956). Prenatal and postnatal ingestion of fluoride salts: A progress report. Dental Digest 62: 353-357.