In February 2019, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, active promoters of the use of Fluoride industrial waste for Fluoridation, issued a Warning against use of "excessive" amounts of Fluoride Toothpaste due to the observed explosion in the rate of Dental Fluorosis in US children. This follows changes in recommendations by a number of toothpaste manufacturers, presumably based on legal advice, to avoid Fluoride toothpaste altogether for children under six or even ten years old. Many papers have been published on the rising incidence of Hypomineralization of teeth that completely avoid mention of Fluoride. Should referees and publishers act to correct this situation, as many authors have a clear conflict of interest, being direct or indirect beneficiaries of Fluoride industry funding?
Definitely yes, referees and editors must intervene so that nothing is published that causes negative impacts on any population group of a country or nature. It is immoral to benefit a company or a person in order to serve the interests of those who finance the investigations. Science has a social character, is governed by social interests, and within these serves the interests of the groups that finance research. But where is the moral responsibility of the scientist, he has to save his responsibility to alert decision makers about the impacts that will cause their research and publications. Scientists have to save their independence in investigations, they have to protect their inventions and their publications beyond political, economic, financial and religious interests that could negatively influence their results. Independently that science is not neutral, the responsibility of the scientist is decisive with what he publishes.
Hypomineralization means decreased. The term can refer to any mineral.
It's a serious problem. The side effects of fluoride came on the agenda newly. Of course, it is a difficult struggle, but academics, health workers, referees and publishers should behave ethically. It will be a difficult process.
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