The anti-fluoride propaganda train has hit Columbia in short order and made a whole mess of things, hasn’t it?
In it’s wake we see CPWS pulling fluoride from drinking water and only one board member giving reasons why and those reasons may seem sensible but logically they are not on a solid foundation. In the debate online at The Daily Herald website and in the paper there have been several myths about fluoridation; I want to address six of these and fight the fluoriphobia.
Claim 1: Other nations have taken fluoride out of their water due to health concerns, why don’t we? This is intentionally misleading. In Europe fluoride is added to salt or milk and in several areas water is naturally fluoridated. Many countries in Europe do not fluoridate water because of the fluoridation of other such sources. Israel is removing fluoride not for health reasons but because only 2 percent of the population drinks it and much of Israel is naturally fluoridated. In China and India they over fluoridated the water and ceased the practice
Claim 2: Removing fluoride from drinking water shows no rise in tooth decay ergo fluoridating water is not effective. This is based on cherry-picked data. In areas where water fluoridation has ended tooth decay has dropped slightly however in areas where water is still fluoridated tooth decay has dropped at a significantly higher rate. Tooth decay is the No. 1 chronic childhood disease in America. Tooth decay has been proven to lead to other health issues, including heart problems.
Claim 3: Fluoride is derived from fluorine which is toxic, ergo fluoride is toxic. When you add sodium to fluoride you get the same fluoride we have in toothpaste, and it’s a commonly occurring mineral. Sodium fluoride can be toxic, but then again over ingesting any chemical or mineral such as iron can have bad results and by over ingesting.
Just a short while ago some groups tried to ban vaccines because they contained trace elements of formaldehyde, however the amount of formaldehyde in the average vaccination is much less than an infant’s body naturally produces.
Also there is the belief that fluoride causes cancer and fluorosis. When fluoride had been added to drinking water agencies in the US and Canada found that there was no increase or statistical difference in the amount of people suffering fluorosis in places where fluoridation occurred naturally and where it was not available at all. The study in 1992 that states fluoride is linked to cancer has never been proven, was based on faulty research and is not accepted by the medical community at large. Simply because one study says something is simply an opinion and must be peer-reviewed to see if others can duplicate the study’s findings.
Claim 5: The FDA has never approved fluoride. This is misleading as the FDA has approved fluoride to be added to bottled water. The FDA can only exercise it’s jurisdiction on items that are sold to the public as consumer goods they have no authority to approve fluoride in drinking water.
Claim 6: Adding fluoride is not cost-effective. This is short-sighted. In Colorado the state discovered citizens saved $61 per year in unneeded dental expenses. In Texas the state saved $24 per year in Medicaid expenditures on children. Nationally citizens save $38 in dental expenses for every $1 spent on fluoridation, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
My sources are taken from The Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-profit group dedicated to bringing fact-based evidence to public debate on a wide variety of topics. These are just six claims, however, for more information you can visit www.ilikemyteeth.org there you can see several myths about fluoridation and evidence countering those claims fully sourced and laid out.
I would urge Mr. Mike Greene and the board to reverse their decision and continue adding fluoride to the water for the sake of those who cannot “afford to take good care of their teeth” as the more fortunate citizens of this city.