J.B.’s 8th Grade Blog

A Poem of Remembrance

Posted on March 30th, 2008 by jonathonl

I think that this poem was a very powerful poem. The poem’s setting is a summer from the past. I think that the poet was talking about a specific time in his or her life when they felt like they were in a dream. The poet was not even sure if that summer happened at all. It was a time when the poet was very happy and jubilant. The poem reminds me of favorite times of my summers. The times when you would swim in lakes and not have a care in the world. The poem also reminds you of the not so busy summers. The summers when you would play all day long and when it was night time you would lay on the soft, cool, green grass and look up at the stars. When I would look up at the stars and my imagination would soar to the stars. I would not have a care in the world and all of my worries would drift away from my mind. When I was looking up to the stars I would also think I was in a dream. A dream that involved all of my happiest thoughts. The poem also reminded me of the summers where you would play baseball all day from dawn till dusk. It was a time for you and your buddies to hang out with each other and do what we loved to do- play baseball. All of those happy and worry free summers came back to me once I had read this amazing poem.

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Filed under: English

Fluoride

Posted on February 6th, 2008 by jonathonl

J.B. Lamb

Period 4

Fluoride is a very important and hot topic. Should fluoride be put in our water and our toothpaste? Is their side effects to the use of fluoride? I have answered these questions and more in this essay. I will explain the uses and disadvantages of fluoride in both our toothpaste and our water.
Some people disapprove of adding fluoride because they are unsure of what fluoride really is and are not sure if they want the unknown substance in their water and in their body. If the amount of fluoride consumed exceeds the amount recommended for internal consumption, the person may get too much of a good thing. This consumption in the diet of children with developing teeth can cause fluorosis of the teeth. Fluorosis could cause orange, brown and white spots in the enamel of the adult teeth which are forming at the time of the overdose. Alleged toxicity could also be created with the use of fluoride. More concentrated professional use products can cause short term nausea immediately after use. Those opposed to public fluoridation of drinking water contend that water fluoridation can have harmful health effects including bone cancer. Some opponents claim that fluoridation takes away individual choice as to the substances a person ingests and that it amounts to mass medication. Some people disagree with adding fluoride to drinking water.
I believe that adding fluoride to drinking water is a great idea. Advocates of water fluoridation say that fluoridation is similar to fortifying salt with iodine, milk with vitamin D and grape juice with vitamin C and say it is an effective way to prevent tooth decay. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Dental Association (ADA) have vigorously supported it. Fluoride has been added to drinking water for almost fifty years, and follow-up studies have validated the cavity-lowering effects of fluoride supplementation failed to show any increase in diseases due to this public health measure. Here it works to protect the tooth in two ways. First, it directly inhibits bacterial growth so less acid is produced in the mouth. Second, the fluoride stored in plaque is released when the bacteria produce enough acid to lower the acid-base balance on the tooth. When this occurs fluoride diffuses into the tooth through tiny pores in the enamel. Fluoride ions replace the hydroxyl ions of the hydroxyapatite crystals, which are part of the tooth’s enamel, and form a new compound called fluorapatite. This form of enamel is less soluble in the acids produced by oral bacteria and therefore helps protect teeth from decay. According to public health officials, fluoride supplementation ranks along with water purification and vaccines as one of the top public health measures of the 20th century.
Many technological advancements had to be made before fluoride could be used in toothpaste. The trick to making fluoride toothpastes is marrying the fluoride with a compatible abrasive. For example, the simplest and most obvious fluoride choice, sodium fluoride, isn’t very soluble in the presence of calcium phosphates, the abrasive used in most early toothpastes. Procter & Gamble was the first company to find a fluoride-abrasive combination that worked, pairing stannous fluoride with calcium pyrophosphate. It launched this formula in 1955 as Crest and proceeded to dominate the fluoride toothpaste market for the next 10 years. P&G was on top, but the next dental fluoride breakthrough–MFP–was already in the works. Ozark had discovered the compound in 1949 and by the early 1960s was selling it to toothpaste makers overseas. MFP really took off in 1967 when Colgate-Palmolive first launched Colgate with MFP, providing new competition for Crest and cementing fluoridated toothpaste as the marketplace standard. Sodium fluoride didn’t debut until 1982, when P&G came out with Advanced Formula Crest, which uses a hydrated silica abrasive that doesn’t hinder sodium fluoride dissociation. The later rise of gel toothpastes, which owe their translucence to silica, also created sodium fluoride demand. All three are still in use, though, their choice determined by compatibility with other ingredients in the wide variety of toothpastes made today. Scientists had to discover what amount of fluoride in toothpaste was right for a child and adult. They also had to determine what age should a child be allowed to use fluoride toothpaste. There have been many technological advancements throughout the toothpaste age to help get fluoride into toothpaste.
There are some possible side effects of fluoride that concern me. The first possible side effect is cancer. Scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1989-1993) have come out against fluoridation because they have confirmed that it does not reduce tooth decay and that there is clear evidence that fluoride causes cancer. Cancer could lead to serious illnesses or death. The second effect is neausea, abdominal pain and vomiting . These are the most common early symptoms of acute fluoride poisoning. These side effects could prevent me from going to school and my functioning would be limited. I would feel terrible and very uncomfortable. Another negative side effect is male reproductive problems, arthritis and brain disorders. My abilities would be limited due to the arthritis and I would not possibly be able to think and function properly due to the brain damage. Excessive exposure to fluoride has been linked to all of these health problems. Finally, the last concern is bone damage and possible abnormal growth. I would be very weak my whole life. These all are very serious health issues in which all could possibly concern not only me, but our entire community.
Fluoride in our water and our toothpaste is a very hot topic. Many people agree and disagree for many different reasons. People will continue to discuss this topic and what should be done about it. I hope that my essay has helped you better understand this topic and what should be done about it.
Bibliography:http://www.fluoridealert.org/http://www.drugs.com/mtm/fluoride.html3.3.http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/OC/Information/OralHealthBasics/CheckupsDentProc/Fluoride/Fluorosis.cvsp4. http://www.answers.com/topic/fluoride-treatment?cat=technology http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/teeth/fluoride.html http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/index.asp