Key Findings - Fluoride & Bone Fracture: (Click for more detail)

The vast majority of animal studies investigating fluoride's effect on bone strength, have found fluoride to have either no effect or a negative effect on strength. Very few animal studies have found a beneficial effect.

Studies on human populations consuming fluoride in drinking water, have found an association between dental fluorosis and increased bone fracture in children; and between long-term consumption of fluoridated water and increased hip fracture in the elderly.

Carefully conducted human clinical trials - including two "double-blind trials" - have found that fluoride (at doses of 18-34 mg/day for just 1-4 years) increases the rate of bone fracture, particularly hip fracture, among osteoporosis patients.

Animal studies and human clinical trials indicate that fluoride can reduce bone strength before skeletal fluorosis is present.

Diagrams - Fluoride & Bone Fracture:

Hip fractures in Fluoridated vs Unfluoridated Areas (USA)

SOURCE: Danielson C, et al. (1992). Hip fractures and fluoridation in Utah's elderly population. Journal of the American Medical Association 268: 746-748.

Hip fractures in Fluoridated vs Unfluoridated Areas (England)

SOURCE: Cooper C, et al. (1991). Water fluoridation and hip fracture. Journal of the American Medical Association 266: 513-514.

Hip fractures vs Fluoride Level in Water (China)

SOURCE: SOURCE: Li Y, et al. (2001). Effect of long-term exposure to fluoride in drinking water on risks of bone fractures. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 16:932-9.

Bone fractures vs Dean dental fluorosis index

SOURCE: Alarcon-Herrera MT, et al. (2001). Well Water Fluoride, Dental fluorosis, Bone Fractures in the Guadiana Valley of Mexico. Fluoride 34(2): 139-149. (See paper)

Contents of Database - Fluoride & Bone Fracture: