USA letter in support of fluoridation
Guest columnist: Dental organizations endorse adding fluoride
MARTIN, RDH
guest columnists
December 19, 2006
Our members would like to express our complete support for community water fluoridation in Martin County and Stuart. Our conviction is based on years of rigorous training as dentists and hygienists at academic institutions across the nation, our research subjected to peer-reviewed scrutiny, and our collective experience over decades of private and public health care. We are passionate about improving the oral health of our community. The general public should expect nothing less from the dental profession.
Let me assure you there is not a single doubt in our members' minds of the unquestioned benefits, safety, cost effectiveness, and fairness of community water fluoridation.
We certainly have no financial motive for this. In fact, we each stand to lose thousands of dollars each year as your teeth become more resistant to cavities. Why do we do this? Because we as dentists have a moral obligation to our patients that transcends profit.
Every year, local dentists and hygienists collectively volunteer thousands of hours treating the less advantaged. If you could see the destruction of teeth and observe the pain and suffering we see in the very young and elderly, it would break your hearts, as it does ours. We help these people, because no one else will. Dental disease not only causes enormous pain and suffering it is often life shattering for those who have little control over their circumstances. Handing out free toothbrushes, as suggested by some, is an insult to the less fortunate.
Local Martin County dentists, hygienist and assistants recently held an annual volunteer clinic, Project Christmas Smile, in Jensen Beach. We treated more than 50 patients, delivering over $15,000 of free dental care. We invited local officials to come so they could see for themselves the terrible results of dental disease on the less fortunate; none showed up.
Tooth decay is a disease so prevalent that most accept it as normal. Few understand that it is preventable with safe and cost-effective measures such as water fluoridation combined with good home-care practices. In fact, it is more cost effective for the taxpayer to prevent a community's disease than to treat the disease. The benefits are shared by all who live in the community, rich and poor.
If your commissioners choose to withhold these benefits after approving them more than four years ago, it will not be because of peer-reviewed science. As one of the most-studied public health measures in history, community water fluoridation has more than 60 years of unblemished safety and solidly proven benefits. All but four of the 50 largest U.S. cities are fluoridated, some for more than 50 years.
It is truly unfortunate that a very few, very vocal individuals have so badly misinformed our commissioners. The overall body of trusted science is crystal clear in its findings that fluoridation of community water supplies is safe, beneficial and cost effective in the prevention of dental disease. The only doubts are false ones from individuals doing "research" on the internet, picking individual lines out of context from solid real research, quoting junk science, and claiming vast conspiracies to frighten and threaten our public officials.
Martin is the only county on Florida's east coast without fluoridated community water supplies. Fluoride is a benefit that transcends all racial and economic barriers. Please give those who are less fortunate the one tool that will have the greatest impact in reducing the pain and suffering from tooth decay.
Orlandi, of Jensen Beach, is president of the Treasure Coast Dental Society.
Henry, of Pensacola, is president of the Florida Dental Association.
Martin, of Tallahassee, is president of the Florida Dental Hygiene Association.
We are very vocal - they're not?
Comments (1) ยป
MARTIN, RDH
guest columnists
December 19, 2006
Our members would like to express our complete support for community water fluoridation in Martin County and Stuart. Our conviction is based on years of rigorous training as dentists and hygienists at academic institutions across the nation, our research subjected to peer-reviewed scrutiny, and our collective experience over decades of private and public health care. We are passionate about improving the oral health of our community. The general public should expect nothing less from the dental profession.
Let me assure you there is not a single doubt in our members' minds of the unquestioned benefits, safety, cost effectiveness, and fairness of community water fluoridation.
We certainly have no financial motive for this. In fact, we each stand to lose thousands of dollars each year as your teeth become more resistant to cavities. Why do we do this? Because we as dentists have a moral obligation to our patients that transcends profit.
Every year, local dentists and hygienists collectively volunteer thousands of hours treating the less advantaged. If you could see the destruction of teeth and observe the pain and suffering we see in the very young and elderly, it would break your hearts, as it does ours. We help these people, because no one else will. Dental disease not only causes enormous pain and suffering it is often life shattering for those who have little control over their circumstances. Handing out free toothbrushes, as suggested by some, is an insult to the less fortunate.
Local Martin County dentists, hygienist and assistants recently held an annual volunteer clinic, Project Christmas Smile, in Jensen Beach. We treated more than 50 patients, delivering over $15,000 of free dental care. We invited local officials to come so they could see for themselves the terrible results of dental disease on the less fortunate; none showed up.
Tooth decay is a disease so prevalent that most accept it as normal. Few understand that it is preventable with safe and cost-effective measures such as water fluoridation combined with good home-care practices. In fact, it is more cost effective for the taxpayer to prevent a community's disease than to treat the disease. The benefits are shared by all who live in the community, rich and poor.
If your commissioners choose to withhold these benefits after approving them more than four years ago, it will not be because of peer-reviewed science. As one of the most-studied public health measures in history, community water fluoridation has more than 60 years of unblemished safety and solidly proven benefits. All but four of the 50 largest U.S. cities are fluoridated, some for more than 50 years.
It is truly unfortunate that a very few, very vocal individuals have so badly misinformed our commissioners. The overall body of trusted science is crystal clear in its findings that fluoridation of community water supplies is safe, beneficial and cost effective in the prevention of dental disease. The only doubts are false ones from individuals doing "research" on the internet, picking individual lines out of context from solid real research, quoting junk science, and claiming vast conspiracies to frighten and threaten our public officials.
Martin is the only county on Florida's east coast without fluoridated community water supplies. Fluoride is a benefit that transcends all racial and economic barriers. Please give those who are less fortunate the one tool that will have the greatest impact in reducing the pain and suffering from tooth decay.
Orlandi, of Jensen Beach, is president of the Treasure Coast Dental Society.
Henry, of Pensacola, is president of the Florida Dental Association.
Martin, of Tallahassee, is president of the Florida Dental Hygiene Association.
We are very vocal - they're not?
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posted by Bill at
10:04 AM
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