Written by 
Water fluoridation has been a subject of some controversy for as long as most of us can remember.
Highly-respected agencies and scientific data suggests that for relatively small per-person costs, water fuoridation has helped reduce cavities in children– particularly those that may not otherwise have good access to dental health services and fluoride treatments. On the other side of the argument, there are people who question the data in light of the fact that many developed countries do not fluoridate water, and have experienced improvements in dental health similar to the USA since 1970. And there are people who have sensitivities to fluoride, who have to drink bottled water to avoid stomach aches or other problems associated with fluoride in the water.
The City of Issaquah still does not fluoridate its water. Every time the officials move to do it, the public largely objects and shoots the idea down. They are once again asking for input right now. Click here to see their meeting announcement
We were chatting about this in the Corman household tonight as we pondered ways Renton could consider saving money. I have no strong opinion on this myself, although one family member drinks bottled water to avoid too much fluoride because of sensitivities to it. I suspect it would save $100,000 to $200,000 a year in Renton if we stopped fluoridating our water, but I have never asked our staff for an estimate. If we stopped fluoridating, the savings would not help balance our general fund (it would not pay for police or fire) since the utility fund is separate; but any savings could off-set customer water rates.
Again, I am not advocating one way or the other, but I would be interested to hear your views on the topic.
Here is a pretty good article in Wikipedia, that covers a lot of aspects of this policy question.
What do you think Rentonites? Are you glad we fluoridate your water, or do you wish we would stop?
There are legitimate reasons to not like fluorinated water – If you’re have a hypothyroid condition, it’s been thought that the fluoride replaces the iodine and makes the condition worse.
That said, it’s a low-cost method of helping a lot of Renton citizens who may not be brushing their teeth.
Randy, think about investing in a reverse osmoses filter – it’d be much cheaper that bottled water in the long run. If you get one that’s marketed for aquariums, they’re much cheaper:
http://www.aquariumguys.com/reverse-osmosis.html
Let’s not forget that the commies want us to have it:
Sooo… I’m kinda with Randy – I really don’t care one way or the other. The civil libertarian in me doesn’t like it, but it is practical way of helping all of Renton’s recent English immigrants.
“That said, it’s a low-cost method of helping a lot of Renton citizens who may not be brushing their teeth.”
People who are not brushing their teeth are reaping what they sow. Again, can’t we provide toothbrushes at local foodbanks?
>>any developed countries do not fluoridate water
In Europe, a lot of places florinate their salt in the same way we put iodine in our salt.
In Switzerland for example, pretty much all the table salt has it – you can find non-fluorinated salt if you look hard in the crazy section of your local COOP.
http://www.coop.ch/
I don’t know, Randy. You’re risking that big contribution from the Dental lobby.
Freakazoid Freddy
I for one would LOVE to see fluoride removed from the water. Just like any supplement, if people want it they can take it separately. I realize that it is supposed to help the poorer population, that supposedly can’t make it to the dentist, but wouldn’t it be cheaper and more effective to offer that small percentage of the population that can’t afford dental work free tubes of toothpaste? Drinking it to coat our teeth makes about as much sense as putting neosporin in the water in case people happen to have cuts. We water our plants with it, we bathe in it, and flush our toilets with it.
Taking into account fluoride hypersensitivity, you might also consider it is a little like putting peanut butter in the water. Granted, fluoride hypersensitivity won’t kill you one the spot, but it can cause horrible stomach upset (I’ll spare you the gory details, but it’s embarrassing to say the least), and migraines.
The other thing people don’t realize is how much fluoride we get from all of our food. Maybe, assuming fluoride is healthy to eat as a supplement, it would be good to put in the water. However, fruits and vegetables have large amounts in some cases because it is used as a pesticide, and most tea has more than our recommended daily amount in one cup!
If we’re going to add fluoride to the water, we should also add vitamins, and anything else considered “necessary” for the general population.
Here’s another interested case, close to home: Could be hereditary, but my family has had a horrible time with cavities – I probably have at least 20. I’ve been raised on fluoridated water. My husband and his family have their own well, with no fluoride in the water, and no dental insurance, and they have almost no cavities. I believe my husband has had one, and it was after he moved out of the house with the well.
I am happy to say I have not had a cavity since I switched to unfluoridated toothpaste, and my stomach upset is not as bad. I do usually drink tap water for the sake of the environment though.
Fluoridation Ineffective & Harmful, studies show
Fluoridation Ineffective & Harmful, studies show
Opposition: Scientific, Respectable & Growing
Over 2,600 professionals urge the US Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted, citing scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks. See http://www.FluorideAction.Net
Also, eleven Environmental Protection Agency employee unions representing over 7000 environmental and public health professionals called for a moratorium on drinking water fluoridation programs across the country, and have asked EPA management to recognize fluoride as posing a serious risk of causing cancer in people.
Last election day, 53 US cities rejected fluoridation joining a growing list of communities saying “No,” to fluoridation.
Since the professionals’ statement was first issued (Aug 2007), the following occurred:
— The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canada’s leading voice on environmental health issues, released a statement opposing fluoridation.
— May 2009, Great Lakes United (GLU) supports the end of water fluoridation. GLU is made up organizations representing environmentalists, conservationists, hunters and anglers, labor unions, community groups, and citizens of the United States, Canada, and First Nations and Tribes.
— The National Kidney Foundation dropped its fluoridation support replacing it with this caution: “Individuals with CKD [Chronic Kidney Disease] should be notified of the potential risk of fluoride exposure.”
— Researchers reporting in the Oct 6 2007 British Medical Journal indicate that fluoridation never was proven safe or effective and may be unethical.
— “A qualitative review of …studies found a consistent and strong association between the exposure to fluoride and low IQ,” concluded Tang el al., in “Fluoride and Children’s Intelligence: A Meta-analysis” in Biological Trace Element Research
— Scientific American editors wrote in January 2008, “Some recent studies suggest that over-consumption of fluoride can raise the risks of disorders affecting teeth, bones, the brain and the thyroid gland”
— A study in the Fall 2008 Journal of Public Health Dentistry reveals that cavity-free teeth have little to do with fluoride intake. Researchers report, “The benefits of fluoride are mostly topical…while fluorosis is clearly more dependent on fluoride intake.”
— Research published in Biological Trace Element Research (April 2009). indicates that blood fluoride levels were significantly higher in patients with osteosarcoma than in control groups. Osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, occurs mostly in children and young adults
A Tennessee State legislator who is also an MD is urging all Tennessee Water Districts to stop fluoridation, reported a Tennessee newspaper on 11/29/08. At least 30 Tennessee water districts have already complied with his request.(6)
On 1/5/09, the Burlington Board of Health recommended that Burlington cease fluoridation because fluoridation can harm some people.
Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, Dr. Arvid Carlsson, says, “Fluoridation is against all principles of modern pharmacology. It’s really obsolete.”
Fluoride jeopardizes health – even at low levels deliberately added to public water supplies, according to data presented in a 2006 National Academy of Sciences’ (NAS) National Research Council (NRC) report. Fluoride poses risks to the thyroid gland, diabetics, kidney patients, high water drinkers and others and can severely damage children’s teeth. (11) At least three panel members advise avoiding fluoridated water.
Randy,
If it costs 200,000 per year – would we be better off giving away free fluoride tooth rinse, and getting rid of it in the water supply?
Everybody would be happy then.