USA - The Community Water System is not in the dental business
By Sonja Oliver / for the Fairfield Bay News
Published: Friday, March 9, 2007 3:25 PM CST
The Community Water System (CWS) Board of Directors heard arguments in favor of the addition of fluoride to the water system at their regularly scheduled meeting in February.
Office of Oral Health Director Lynn Douglas Mouden, DDS, MPH gave the board a presentation in favor of adding the substance at their monthly meeting.
In reaction to a CWS decision last fall to discontinue fluoridation through its water system, community member Dr. Mark Davis, DDS had contacted the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services Office of Oral Health.
Responding to a direct question as to why CWS had discontinued the use of fluoride in its water system, General Manager Tim Shaw explained “We have the best, most pristine water source in Arkansas. Our philosophy is that we add as little as possible (chemicals) to treat the water.” More of his response is discussed further in this news story.
In Mouden’s letter written in reply to a “Concerned Citizen,” Mouden expressed thanks for Davis’ concern and “support for adjusting the water fluoride level for CWS.” Included in a packet Mouden gave to board members, were materials providing basic information on fluoride from the American Dental Association (ADA), US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Office of Oral Health in Arkansas.
The packet contained a suggested “model resolution that the water board can use to re-implement fluoridation.” Also in the packet, was a reprint of an article by Dr. Stephen Barrett, which accuses opponents of fluoridation to be “poisenmongers.”
Mouden opened his presentation with a statement saying, “Sixty years of history shows fluoridation is safe, effective and economical for dental health.”
Mouden explained that tooth decay is a result of “de-mineralization” and that teeth are subject to “re-mineralization” when using fluoride. He said the suggested amount of fluoride for decay prevention is 1mg of the free-fluoride ion per one liter of water per day, assuming that a child drinks approximately one liter of water per day. This was determined to be the allowable dosage for optimum dental health and is said to reduce cavities.
Mouden said the Office of Oral Health’s goal is to reduce the amount of tooth decay through the addition of fluoride adjusted to the optimum level for the prevention of dental decay in children, since studies indicate they are more prone to cavities between ages 3-12. He also said that the addition of fluoride through water systems was the cheapest way to reach their targeted recipients and that there may be some benefit to adults as well.
Other highlighted talking points included the following:
Fluorine is a naturally occurring element with trace amounts in water.
á Fluoride, when administered at low levels of concentration, is proven to help prevent tooth decay.
The CDC has declared fluoridation as one of the “ten greatest public health advances of the century” and had (in 1995) “set a goal of having 75 percent of the American population served by fluoridated water suppliers by the year 2000.”
American water systems naturally have low concentration levels of fluoride.
Following the presentation, Shaw explained the position CWS take concerning the fluoride issue by first stating that “The Community Water System is not in the dental business and we shouldn’t be. However, there are two reasons we decided to discontinue fluoridation.”
The first was cost. Secondly - operational safety.
CWS distributed a packet of their own research at the meeting, with both pro and con information about the use of fluoride. One of the sources states that the fluoride purchased by most water systems for treatment is not of pharmaceutical grade, but is actually a waste or by-product of certain industries.
In addressing cost, Shaw said that currently CWS is undergoing reconstruction and decided the $200-300 thousand dollars in investment capital needed to add a separate chemical building for fluoride distribution was not financially feasible. Engineering costs were also considered as well as additional costs associated with transportation and storage of the chemical in 55 gallon drums.
Also, since fluoride itself is determined to be a hazardous material, it must be handled separately from other chemicals such as chlorine (to kill bacteria) and lime (to monitor PH and acidity levels), which are essential for water treatment. The addition of fluoride is not mandated by the state or the U.S. government.
Shaw said that, although CWS handles other hazardous materials (which includes chlorine), more handling of such equates to more danger.
“Yes, we do handle other hazardous materials,” Shaw said. “But our philosophy is that we should add as little as possible to our water. We have one of the best, most pristine water sources in Arkansas.”
Shaw said the CWS stance is that “Fluoridation is an un-mandated social program. We are not in the dental business and our purpose is to deliver water to our customers.”
The CWS Board of Directors will hear arguments from community members supporting the decision against fluoridation at their next monthly meeting to be held in March.
Published: Friday, March 9, 2007 3:25 PM CST
The Community Water System (CWS) Board of Directors heard arguments in favor of the addition of fluoride to the water system at their regularly scheduled meeting in February.
Office of Oral Health Director Lynn Douglas Mouden, DDS, MPH gave the board a presentation in favor of adding the substance at their monthly meeting.
In reaction to a CWS decision last fall to discontinue fluoridation through its water system, community member Dr. Mark Davis, DDS had contacted the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services Office of Oral Health.
Responding to a direct question as to why CWS had discontinued the use of fluoride in its water system, General Manager Tim Shaw explained “We have the best, most pristine water source in Arkansas. Our philosophy is that we add as little as possible (chemicals) to treat the water.” More of his response is discussed further in this news story.
In Mouden’s letter written in reply to a “Concerned Citizen,” Mouden expressed thanks for Davis’ concern and “support for adjusting the water fluoride level for CWS.” Included in a packet Mouden gave to board members, were materials providing basic information on fluoride from the American Dental Association (ADA), US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Office of Oral Health in Arkansas.
The packet contained a suggested “model resolution that the water board can use to re-implement fluoridation.” Also in the packet, was a reprint of an article by Dr. Stephen Barrett, which accuses opponents of fluoridation to be “poisenmongers.”
Mouden opened his presentation with a statement saying, “Sixty years of history shows fluoridation is safe, effective and economical for dental health.”
Mouden explained that tooth decay is a result of “de-mineralization” and that teeth are subject to “re-mineralization” when using fluoride. He said the suggested amount of fluoride for decay prevention is 1mg of the free-fluoride ion per one liter of water per day, assuming that a child drinks approximately one liter of water per day. This was determined to be the allowable dosage for optimum dental health and is said to reduce cavities.
Mouden said the Office of Oral Health’s goal is to reduce the amount of tooth decay through the addition of fluoride adjusted to the optimum level for the prevention of dental decay in children, since studies indicate they are more prone to cavities between ages 3-12. He also said that the addition of fluoride through water systems was the cheapest way to reach their targeted recipients and that there may be some benefit to adults as well.
Other highlighted talking points included the following:
Fluorine is a naturally occurring element with trace amounts in water.
á Fluoride, when administered at low levels of concentration, is proven to help prevent tooth decay.
The CDC has declared fluoridation as one of the “ten greatest public health advances of the century” and had (in 1995) “set a goal of having 75 percent of the American population served by fluoridated water suppliers by the year 2000.”
American water systems naturally have low concentration levels of fluoride.
Following the presentation, Shaw explained the position CWS take concerning the fluoride issue by first stating that “The Community Water System is not in the dental business and we shouldn’t be. However, there are two reasons we decided to discontinue fluoridation.”
The first was cost. Secondly - operational safety.
CWS distributed a packet of their own research at the meeting, with both pro and con information about the use of fluoride. One of the sources states that the fluoride purchased by most water systems for treatment is not of pharmaceutical grade, but is actually a waste or by-product of certain industries.
In addressing cost, Shaw said that currently CWS is undergoing reconstruction and decided the $200-300 thousand dollars in investment capital needed to add a separate chemical building for fluoride distribution was not financially feasible. Engineering costs were also considered as well as additional costs associated with transportation and storage of the chemical in 55 gallon drums.
Also, since fluoride itself is determined to be a hazardous material, it must be handled separately from other chemicals such as chlorine (to kill bacteria) and lime (to monitor PH and acidity levels), which are essential for water treatment. The addition of fluoride is not mandated by the state or the U.S. government.
Shaw said that, although CWS handles other hazardous materials (which includes chlorine), more handling of such equates to more danger.
“Yes, we do handle other hazardous materials,” Shaw said. “But our philosophy is that we should add as little as possible to our water. We have one of the best, most pristine water sources in Arkansas.”
Shaw said the CWS stance is that “Fluoridation is an un-mandated social program. We are not in the dental business and our purpose is to deliver water to our customers.”
The CWS Board of Directors will hear arguments from community members supporting the decision against fluoridation at their next monthly meeting to be held in March.
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