death by toothbrush

Brushing your teeth can kill you.

You've probably always assumed the twice-a-day activity actually contributed to health. But fluoride, the popular ingredient in most toothpastes that most companies say prevents tooth decay, also has some unsettling side effects.

Fluoride has been linked to bone cancer, ADD, thyroid and endocrine problems.

At least that's the charge of a book I'm reading called The Fluoride Deception. Christopher Bryson crafts a well-documented case against using fluroide, which is a byproduct of toxic waste. He also details how industrialists and government officials urged that the poison -- it's used as a pesticide -- be added to our drinking supply and toothpaste in the 1940s.

Before you dismiss Bryson as a crackpot, consider that he graduated from the Columbia School of Journalism and worked for the BBC and National Public Radio.

Also, if you want to do a minimal amount of research into the subject that will take all of 30 seconds, go find the tube of paste in your bathroom. Unless you use an all-natural or organic toothpaste, you will find the following warning on the back in fine print:

"Keep out of the reach of children under 6 years of age. If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a poison control center right away."

Yes, we are brushing our teeth with poison. And it's right there for us to see.