Fluoride in Water

[Section ThirtyOne]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/dentists-no...-1.3210382

Dentists in Moncton, N.B., want city councillors to acknowledge a marked increase in tooth decay since they voted to stop adding fluoride to the municipal drinking water supply five years ago.
The “I told you so” comes as Moncton prepares to hold a public meeting next month to drill into the issue with special interest groups and hear online submissions from the public.
In 2011, councillors voted 6-4 in favour of a motion to stop adding fluoride to municipal water with a stipulation to revisit the issue after five years. The decision saved the city more than $500,000 to date. It’s also kept local dentists busy drilling for cavities.

Dr. Don Joyce, a dentist with more than 30 years’ experience, has noticed the absence of additional fluoride in the mouths of his patients.

“I see a marked increase in decay, and the decay is deeper. It’s more serious,” he told CTV Atlantic...

When we voted out fluoride in the water, was there any plan to revisit the issue at a later date similar to what they are doing in Moncton?

[myfaceisonfire]

I honestly don't understand why the problem with fluoride in water is.  Could somebody explain why people are so against it?

[MidTowner]

Mind control, I think.

[Elmira Guy]

It's Communism. Plain and simple!

[MidTowner]

Joking aside, here is one of the web sites that was active prior to the referendum here to encourage people to vote to turn fluoridation off.

They claim that the fluoride used in water treatment is not the same food grade fluoride used in dental products and so on, and that it hasn't been proven beyond the shadow of a doubt to be safe.

[Section ThirtyOne]

I honestly don't understand why the problem with fluoride in water is.  Could somebody explain why people are so against it?

Ignorance. (not in the sense that most people use the word, but in the sense that they are uninformed)

[Watdot]

Make water great again!

[timc]

When we voted out fluoride in the water, was there any plan to revisit the issue at a later date similar to what they are doing  in Moncton?

No, and I wish we had made a plan to gather data and measure the effectiveness of fluoridation on the local population.

[chutten]

The stuff I remember hearing was "It costs money and no one can prove that it works"

Of course we (at least now) know that it absolutely does. Or, at least, that removing it has negative effects.

[Pheidippides]

Back in february of this year public health said they are monitoring the changes.

[DHLawrence]

I wonder what the anti-fluoride mob would make of Cambridge; our water has it naturally. (Anyone know why that isn't true of the rest of the region?)

[mpd618]

I wonder what the anti-fluoride mob would make of Cambridge; our water has it naturally. (Anyone know why that isn't true of the rest of the region?)

20% of the region's water comes from the Grand River (versus 80% from groundwater) - could that make up a bigger portion of Waterloo's water?

[ijmorlan]

I wonder what the anti-fluoride mob would make of Cambridge; our water has it naturally. (Anyone know why that isn't true of the rest of the region?)

That’s part of what is so stupid about fluoride denialism. My understanding is that at one time people noticed that there were few dental problems in certain areas. After investigation, the difference in fluoride levels was identified as a likely cause. Then after extensive testing and validation of the concept, people started deliberately adding fluoride to the water supply in other areas to make it the same as the natural supply in those certain areas. Decades later, contrary to the lies of the denialists, no significant bad effects have been noted when the fluoride is added at appropriate levels.

Did I get anything wrong?

[danbrotherston]

People drink beer, bottled water and pop. Fluoridation would be a waste of money for most people. Tim Horton's may or may not use tap water straight from the tap. I think they filter it. In any case, most kids don't drink coffee.

Except the facts don't hold this up.  As see here, and in other places, there's a measurable increase in tooth decay when water isn't fluoridated.

[Andy]

If people don't want fluoride added to their water, they shouldn't be forced too. I don't really understand why there is such a vocal pro-fluoridation group. You can get the same benefits very easily by just brushing your teeth, so you aren't missing out on anything.

I'd be interested to see the demographics of tap water use too. I speculate that the main group's that would see the largest benefit of fluoridation don't even drink tap water.