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UK Against Fluoridation

Sunday, April 29, 2007

UK - Experts know best

Parents must brush up on dental care
By Siobhan Ryan
Sandy Stillman, head of oral promotion in Brighton and Hove
More than a quarter of children in Sussex have decayed or missing teeth or fillings by the age of five, according to a survey by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry. So what is being done to tackle the problem? SIOBHAN RYAN reports.
Ask most five-year-olds whether they want a bar of chocolate or a carrot stick and the answer is the sweet stuff every time.
A fizzy drink or a glass of water or milk? I'll have the lemonade, please.
Unfortunately, the end result of this high sugar and acidic diet is bad teeth at a very young age and a lifetime of expensive dental treatment if they continue. Dentists and other health experts are not unrealistic enough to suggest children don't have sugar at all but recommend sweets and fizzy drinks are given in moderation and only at mealtimes rather than in between.
It is not just about cutting back either, cleaning teeth properly is the key. The head of oral promotion in Brighton and Hove, Sandy Stillman, says patterns need to be established from a very early age. She said: "We recommend all children under eight are supervised when they are brushing their teeth because many are not doing it properly and thoroughly.
"Children are often very good about doing the front teeth but the ones in the back get neglected and that is where problems can start.
"It is vital children get into a good routine of brushing their teeth properly in the mornings and evenings and not simply spend a few seconds chewing on a toothbrush. "A proper fluoride toothpaste needs to be used. Not many people realise some children's brands of toothpaste have less fluoride in them so they are not as effective."
Mrs Stillman said keeping sugary food to mealtimes gave the mouth time to recover between sessions, whereas if children are snacking throughout the day, the teeth are constantly getting attacked. Although Brighton and Hove has a relatively average percentage of fiveyear- olds with missing, decayed or filled teeth - 32 per cent - the figure is higher in some areas of the city.
Mrs Stillman said: "There is a correlation between tooth decay and more deprived areas so this is something we are targeting at the moment. There is no point just assessing which children have bad teeth, you need to target areas to try to stop these problems developing in the first place."
The oral health team is targeting schools where more than 20 per cent of young children are needing treatment and giving advice on healthy eating and proper tooth brushing. Mrs Stillman said: "It is not rocket science to prevent children developing tooth decay but it is expensive to put right."
Brighton and Hove has a relatively good record for access to an NHS dentist.
In March last year, the last set of figures available, about 71 per cent of children under 18 were registered with an NHS dentist, higher than the national figure of 64 per cent. There are currently 18 practices offering NHS treatment to new patients and, of these, three are specifically children-only contracts. The city has a Special Care Dental Service which has clinics in Morley Street, Moulsecoomb, Whitehawk and Hove and provides care for children with high needs such as learning and physical disability, challenging behaviour, severe management difficulties, social problems, on the Child Protection Register and travellers. East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust (PCT) is considering the provision of NHS dental services for children as part of its annual review of the dental contract.
Sarah Benwell, from the PCT's community dental service, said: "In order to tackle tooth decay in children across East Sussex, particularly in deprived areas, the oral health promotion programme works with parents of pre-school children, primary school children through schools and other health professionals who have regular contact with parents. "Our advice to parents is to avoid any sweet and sugary food and drinks between meals." Although Sussex as a whole is better performing than other areas of the country, there are still moves to bring the figures down further.
The worst performing area in Sussex was Hastings and Rother, where 39 per cent of five-year-olds had decayed, missing or filled teeth, while West Sussex recorded a figure of 33 per cent and East Sussex Downs and Weald area had the best-cared for teeth, with 28 per cent having problems.
The national average for England and Wales is 39 per cent and the worst rates are in Merthyr Tydfil, with 76 per cent of children having problems.
A spokesman for the West Sussex oral health services team said: "We endeavour to equip parents with information with which to make healthier choices in lifestyle, nutrition and parenting practice for their family.
"Tooth decay is preventable and understanding why baby teeth are at risk of decay and erosion is the key.
"In West Sussex, parents and child-carers are being made aware of how children's oral health has many risk factors, including going to sleep sucking on a bottle or feeder cup, being weaned on to a sugary diet, frequent snacking on biscuits and sweets and lack of oral hygiene."
The findings have prompted renewed calls for the fluoridation of water supplies as levels of decay were lower in areas where this happened.
South East Coast Strategic Health Authority, which covers Sussex, Surrey and Kent, does not put fluoride in the water but experts such as Mrs Stillman believe it could make a lot of difference and some dentists are calling on the authority to introduce it.

USA -Fluoridation bill moves

Fluoridation bill moves
Saturday, April 28, 2007
forward in state House
A bill requiring cities to add fluoride to their water to prevent tooth decay cleared a House Committee on Friday without a recommendation as to whether it should pass.
The move sends the passionately argued fluoridation bill to the House floor. A similar Senate bill has yet to get a hearing.
Oregon ranks 48th among states in percentage of residents with fluoridated water. House Bill 3099 would mandate fluoridation in cities of more than 10,000.
Federal health officials hail fluoridation as one of the top 10 public health advances of the 20th century, and it estimates that every dollar invested in fluoridation saves $38 in reduced dental costs.
But in Oregon, a coalition of anti-government conservatives, advocates of local control and environmentalists has blocked statewide fluoridation.
Rep. Scott Bruun of West Linn, the only Republican committee member to favor moving the bill to the House floor, said he was undecided until his wife, the daughter of a dentist, told him: "If you do not support fluoridation of water, I cannot support your re-election."

USA - Fluoridated Lansing: NYSCOF

Walkers brave cold for cause
More than 160 show for 'Miles for Smiles' fundraiser in Lansing
Andrea Byl
Lansing State Journal
Taking care of one's teeth does more than produce a healthy smile. Heart disease, premature birth and pancreatic cancer can all start from tooth decay, studies show. So, more than 160 walkers participated in the Miles for Smiles 5K walk around Hawk Island Saturday morning as part of the first effort by local Head Start to raise money to help more uninsured and under insured families get the dental care needed.
It was unclear Saturday how much money was raised.
Teresa Spitzer, coordinator for the fundraiser, said Head Start has seen an increase in children and parents in need of dental care.
The problem is the funding, she said, and it is hoped that the walk raises awareness.
"We thought, 'We have to answer their cries for help,'" she said. "We were treating kids with oral problems when their parents were just as bad."
During Saturday's event, tables under the park pavilion were filled with water bottles, bananas and bagels waiting for hungry walkers. Spitzer said she was happy with the turnout, despite the cold.
However the large warming room at Hawk Island was a popular destination where two clowns and the walk mascot, Miles the Tooth, stood making balloon animals and hats for the children.
Shauntel Carroll, 7, of Lansing, who was at the event with family, said she enjoyed it.
"At first it was great, and then my legs started to hurt," Shauntel said as she spread cheese on her crackers during a break. One case in particular made it clear that something had to be done for Lansing area residents in need of dental care, Spitzer said.
Emphasizing the seriousness of dental problems, Spitzer said that she knew of a mother whose gums were so infected she was continuously sick and vomiting, making it nearly impossible to care for her children.
"A lot of people don't realize dental health disease is five times more common than asthma," said Christine Farrell, Medicaid policy specialist for the Michigan Department of Community Health. "It's not going down and we need to start preventing it so it does go down."
In the Lansing area, 40 percent of children seen for dental care need a follow up, compared to the national average of 20 percent, said Ivan Love, executive director of Capitol Area Community Services.
Treatment for adults with decayed teeth costs around $1,000, Spitzer said, sum of money most uninsured families don't have.
Lauren Hall-Tate, a dentist in East Lansing, emphasized the importance of starting oral care at a young age.
"Early decay can make kids not like the dentist, and less likely to see a dentist later on," Hall-Tate said.

Friday, April 27, 2007

USA - Another accident

Update: Spencer Massachusetts's fire chief has declared a mass casualty incident and a few residents have been taken to St. Vincent's Hospital.
It would seem that too much sodium hydroxide was released into the town of Spencer's water system causing a dozen people to be sent to the hospital Wednesday morning because of chemical burns.Spencer Massachusetts residents have been warned not to use or touch the water until further notice.
According to reports, Police began to receive calls at about 6:30 a.m. from residents who had taken showers and reported skin irritations including moderate burns.
The culprit is a malfunction at the town's drinking water treatment plant which released too much sodium hydroxide into the water supply, Sgt. John Agnew said. Sodium hydroxide, also commonnly known as lye, is a common water additive utilized to reduce water acidity and limit pipe corrosion.
State officials are currently working with the town to flush the water supply so as to restore service as quickly as possible. They hope to have it accomplished by the evening, however the state would need to run tests on the water after the system is flushed.Ambulances are on stand-by at the Spencer Fire Department for anyone who needs medical attention, accordiing to WBZTV.
A decontamination tent has also been pitched at the fire station in East Brookfield as a precaution.
The DEP advised residents to discard any liquids or foods made with town water on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The excess chemicals were expected to be removed by this evening and the water supply would be subject to extensive environmental testing, Terenzini said.
Local bottled water companies have dropped off drinking water for pickup at the fire station. Officials are devising plans to deliver drinking water to those who can't get to the fire station, he said.

UK - Hampshire - from Ann

Peter and I together with Bill Edmunds and his wife managed to get to the 7th meeting of the Hampshire PCT held at Colbury Memorial Hall and to the public seminar focussed on “NHS Dental Services”.
Professor Montgomery (Chair) spoke for 20 minutes and outlined the thinking of the PCT on dental health needs identifying areas of special concern. He admitted that many things were unsatisfactory but that they have managed to make some improvements despite financial constraints and the difficulties posed by the new dentists’ contract. The ‘fluoridation’ word was not once mentioned. Afterwards there followed a barrage of questions and comments from the floor.
Gareth Cruddace (Chief Executive) then spoke saying that dental improvements had to be taken in balance with overall health service requirements and budgetary constraints.
I managed to buttonhole Professor Montgomery briefly afterwards and expressed my relief that fluoridation had not arisen and he said that he personally did not think that that would be the right way for Hampshire to go and that other measures were being considered. Then I asked if there had been any pressure from on high in view of what was happening in Manchester and he hastened to say that he could not guarantee anything for the future. Before leaving I pressed a copy of the NPWA’s leaflet about the fluoride damaged horses in Pagosa Springs, Colorado into his hands.
This morning Peter rang the Southampton PCT and was lucky enough to speak to Dr Mortimore who said:

· the fluoridation ‘feasibility’ study was not yet complete

· the study was now in the hands of the SHA and nothing more to do with him

· Stella Saunders no longer works for the NHS
We shall continue to do our best to find out when the study is complete. Apart from that it looks as though we can relax a bit in this neck of the woods for at leas another year.

Ann

Thursday, April 26, 2007

UK - Hampshire Primary care Trust

Today I attended the Hampshire Primary Care Trust short open meeting on dental issues at Colbury Hall near Southampton. The dreaded f word was not mentioned and afterwards I spoke to Chairman Professor Jonathan Montgomery who said it was not an issue now. But when asked about the implications of Southampton's call for fluoridation and the possible overlapping of water supplies he said then they would have to look into fluoridation.
He was aware of all the arguments and of the York study.

Scotland - Child dental health concerns Apr 25 2007

Child dental health concerns Apr 25 2007
By Lisa Boyle
MORE than 42 per cent of children in the region have tooth decay by the time they go to primary school.
A new survey carried out by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry shows that 184 out of 439 five-year-olds in the region have tooth decay.
And the study also showed that only one in ten children of the same age have access to an NHS dentist.
The worrying figures come despite significant investment by the region’s health board to improve dental health, particularly among children.
The figures in the report contrast information in a 2004-05 national dental inspection agency report which found that only 33 per cent of primary seven children had tooth decay compared to the Scottish average of 47 per cent, suggesting that children are prone to taking better care of their adult teeth. Dentist Philip Brown, of the Nith Place Dental Surgery in Dumfries said: “Tooth decay in children is a significant problem in Dumfries and Galloway and across Scotland.
“Unfortunately it tends to follow socio-economic lines. Certain groups, like poorer families, tend to have a lot of decay.
“Of course, diet is a huge factor. There tends to be a high intake of sugar in this area and there is low fluoride content in the water.
“The Scottish Executive gave us DVDs to give out to patients but that has only been in the last few weeks. It is very useful but we have not yet seen the benefit from it. Many nurseries in the region have started tooth brush schemes which is useful as long as it is carried on right through primary school.
“Poor access to dental services in this region also adds to the problem.”
A spokesperson for NHS Dumfries and Galloway said: “We continue to make good progress in improving dental health in children.
The board continues to support various initiatives which include:
giving out dental health packs for infants aged from six to eight months;
supervised fluoride toothbrushing schemes in nursery schools and in primary one and primary two classes in various primary schools;
investment in healthy eating and improved diet schemes in schools;
raising awareness of preventative measures amongst parents and children and promotion of good oral hygiene;
developing an oral health strategy.
The local health board has also recruited 15 new dentists in the past two years, including five who were brought here from Poland in June last year.
A new £4million dental centre at DGRI will be operational by January 2008.
The new centre will provide training for dental undergraduates, dental therapists and post qualification training for newly qualified dentists as well as additional dental services.

“Unfortunately it tends to follow socio-economic lines. Certain groups, like poorer families, tend to have a lot of decay." Same old sad story, I wonder if knowledge of the thesecret.tv/movie/trailer Could improve their life?

Australia - Flouride subsidy for Bourke children

Flouride subsidy for Bourke children
Thursday, 26 April 2007. 08:18 (AEST)Thursday, 26 April 2007. 08:18 (ACST)Thursday, 26 April 2007. 05:18 (AWST)
A subsidy for fluoride tablets will be introduced for children in Bourke and North Bourke instead of fluoridating the town water supply.
Bourke Shire Council abandoned the commissioning of a fluoridation plant last month because of uncertainty about where the maze of old water mains go.
Mayor Wayne O'Mally says the council will offer a 50 per cent subsidy to children up to the age of 12.
He says tablets will be available from the local pharmacy.
"There'll just be a track record kept there for security purposes as far as the amount of tablets that go because there's such a thing as overdosing with fluoride too, so there has to be careful monitoring of the situation to make sure the families understand what the correct dosage rate is and how often it is to be administered," he said.

Much better idea than forced fluoridation, target children who need it.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The elixir of life

The elixir of life
Tuesday April 24 2007 19:46 IST
Water, that magical substance from which all life springs forth, is essential to the very existence of every life form on earth.

During summer, when we tend to lose vital body fluids due to perspiration, drinking pure water becomes inevitable not only to maintain immunity against diseases, but also to look fresh and feel good.

The human body is 75 percent water, while brain contains 85 percent of water. The blood, made up of 92 percent water, carries oxygen and essential nutrients to capillaries where they are released into a water-based fluid that surrounds the cells called lymph. From the lymphatic fluid, nutrients are transferred to the cells and toxins are removed, keeping the entire system nourished and cleansed for optimum efficiency. Water - essential to life Water serves as a lubricant that cushions joints and protects tissues and organs, including spinal chord, from shock and trauma. It also regulates body temperature, aids digestion, works to keep the muscles and skin toned, and assists in weight loss. Water regulates all functions of the body, and in its absence we can survive only for a few days.

Most of us are chronically dehydrated. Increasing temperatures and humidity leave us vulnerable against dehydration-related diseases such as diarrhoea and dysentery. When water in the system is depleted, disease symptoms appear as a result of the body’s attempts to ration its vital water stores.

Arthritis, ulcers, colitis, constipation, hypertension, asthma, allergies, diabetes, low back pain, angina, migraine headaches, stress and depression can be all symptoms of dehydration. Water retention is actually a sign of severe dehydration, resulting in the kidneys’ efforts to conserve water. Instead of taking diuretic medications, this imbalance can be often corrected by drinking water. Pollutants in drinking water Drinking water contains numerous pollutants, which have devastating effects on health. Contamination from agricultural pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, improper disposal of toxic chemicals, and harmful microbes and pathogenic parasites -- all contribute to the pollution of ground and surface waters.

Lead, often found in the joints of water pipes, can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, kidney and liver problems, hyperactivity and learning disabilities. Volatile organic chemicals that come from pesticides and herbicides are often undetectable in drinking water, and can cause cancer, kidney, liver and brain damage, reproductive problems and immune system deficiencies.

Chlorine content in water mixes with water’s natural organic compounds causing the creation of trihalomethanes, a toxic substance linked by numerous studies to bladder and rectal cancer. Fluoride content, on the other hand, has harmful effects on the brain, cells and tissues, and on blood, teeth and bones. In India, occurrence of both chlorine and fluoride in top aquifer system is endemic in many places. Ensuring safe water Given the poor quality of water and rampant contamination, point-of-use (at home) water purification has become an absolute necessity. Many kinds of water purification systems are available. An ideal water purifier removes only contaminants, and leaves the essential minerals and nourishing elements intact.

Bottled water may not be essentially pure, as most bottled water brands are essentially nothing but reprocessed tap water. Boiling water is not only a time consuming chore, and does not kill all germs and remove particulates. Boiling is also ineffective against any chlorine and cysts present in water.

Good health and well being of the family is one of the most important priorities of life. Hence, we should drink enough water per day. And that, again, is possible if we have a sound purification system that no only suits our needs, but guarantees us 100 percent safe water.

Australia - Call to install water tanks and filter systems

Fluoride delay after sacking
By DI THOMAS
LAST week’s sacking of Victoria’s chief health officer Dr Robert Hall has delayed the fluoridation of Wodonga’s water supply by about a month.
Fluoride was expected to be added to Wodonga’s water from the middle of this month.
However, the Department of Human Services has recalled flyers which were to be distributed to 30,000 households in Wodonga that had included Dr Hall’s name and photograph.
Dr Hall was sacked by Health Minister Bronwyn Pike following the deaths of elderly patients at Melbourne’s Broughton Hall nursing home.
New flyers that do not mention Dr Hall will be received by North East Water next Wednesday, authority spokesman Matt Lane said yesterday.
Mr Lane said the flyers would accompany a letter from North East Water that would be mailed to households a week before fluoridation of water supplies is to begin.
However, he said commissioning of Wodonga treatment plants, where new equipment has been installed, would go ahead as planned on Monday.
“We will not receive the new flyers until Wednesday and then the mail house will take two to three days to send out 30,000 of them with our letters,” Mr Lane said.
“We have been aiming to give our customers seven days between giving them notice and having the fluoridation begin,” he said.
Mr Lane said the situation remained unchanged at Wangaratta where fluoridation plans were delayed because of the drought.
North East Water’s switch to more than one water source for the city, including bores in Kerr Street, forced the postponement of fluoridation.
Ongoing drought conditions and low levels in Lake Buffalo and the Ovens River, which support Wangaratta’s water supply, resulted in the need for the authority to sink the bores.
North East Water has spent $750,000 installing equipment in both cities.
Wangaratta anti-fluoride campaigner Norm Ryan yesterday urged householders to install water tanks and filter systems to counter the fluoridation when it began.

USA - Threat

An Iraq threat comes home
The use of chlorine truck bombs in Iraq could presage a new terror threat here. Congress should mandate a switch to safer chemicals.
How many times has President Bush or a surrogate offered up this trite and illogical rationale for staying in Iraq: "If we don't fight them there, we'll have to fight them here"? Never mind that one does nothing to preclude the other, as the subway bombings in Britain proved.The real problem is that by fighting terrorists there, we may make them more effective at fighting us here.
A new tactic used by terrorists in Iraq involves exploding chlorine truck bombs. At least five such attacks have killed dozens and injured more.
Now the Department of Homeland Security is warning chemical plants and bomb squads here to be on alert after several thefts and attempted thefts of 150-pound chlorine tanks from California water treatment plants.
Similar tanks, standard around the world, were used in the truck bombs detonated in Iraq.
"This is now being used against us as a tactic in another part of the world," Robert Stephan, head of Homeland Security's infrastructure protection unit, told USA Today. "We've got to be prepared for it."
The best preparation is one long resisted by the chemical industry: find safer substitutes for deadly chemicals.Such substitutes -- for chlorine as well as other highly toxic chemicals such as hydrogen fluoride, anhydrous ammonia and sulfur dioxide gas -- are available.Switching may involve substantial costs.Not switching may cost a substantial number of lives.According to the Center for American Progress, 25 million Americans either live near water treatment plants that use chlorine or along rail routes that chlorine tankers travel along.
A mere five years after 9/11, Congress passed a law authorizing Homeland Security to regulate chemical plant safety. But the law and subsequent regulations fail to require or even encourage a switch to safer chemicals where feasible and affordable.
Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff believes his department should stay out of such decisions. "We want to set down standards and requirements, but we do not want to necessarily prescribe the exact way in which a plant is going to meet those standards," he said.Oddly enough, that's the exact view of the American Chemistry Council.Americans deserve better than a Department of Homeland Security seemingly run more for the profit and convenience of the chemical industry than the safety of citizens.Congress should mandate a more sensible ordering of priorities.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Effectiveness of Fluoride in Preventing Caries in Adults

To date, no systematic reviews have found fluoride to be effective in preventing dental caries in adults. The objective of this meta-analysis was to examine the effectiveness of self- and professionally applied fluoride and water fluoridation among adults. We used a random-effects model to estimate the effect size of fluoride (absolute difference in annual caries increment or relative risk ratio) for all adults aged 20+ years and for adults aged 40+ years. Twenty studies were included in the final body of evidence. Among studies published after/during 1980, any fluoride (self- and professionally applied or water fluoridation) annually averted 0.29 (95%CI: 0.16–0.42) carious coronal and 0.22 (95%CI: 0.08–0.37) carious root surfaces. The prevented fraction for water fluoridation was 27% (95%CI: 19%–34%). These findings suggest that fluoride prevents caries among adults of all ages.

"To date, no systematic reviews have found fluoride to be effective in preventing dental caries in adults." After 60 years of fluoridation!

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USA - Accidents keep happening

...........Officials with the Madison Water Utility said chlorine equipment on the well malfunctioned and the systems that should have alerted an operator on duty Friday didn't work. As a result, water with low levels of chlorine were pumped into water mains in the area for about seven hours, beginning about 10 a.m. Friday. The problem was caught by a worker checking the well Saturday.......

USA - Malfunction with the fluoride equipment

Jacksonville Water Trouble
Last Edited: Monday, 23 Apr 2007, 11:49 AM CDT
JACKSONVILLE, Ala (WBRC-TV MyFoxAL.com)-- People in Jacksonville are being urged not to drink their water.
The Jacksonville Water Department tells FOX6 News that a malfunction with the fluoride equipment led to the warning.
The department says the water is not harmful, but boiling it won't remove the fluoride.
Water Works crews are currently flushing the lines to try to resolve the problem.

Monday, April 23, 2007

My Basel cell cancer is now removed

I had my Basel cell removed from my forehead this morning. I am glad now it is out but must admit I had my doubts as it hadn't broken open in three months. But the surgeon still thought it could be active underneath the scar tissue. Will have the stitches out next week and hopefully by that time the biopsy will be back. Would be interesting to know if anybody else on finding out they had this type of skin cancer had the same results by eating a teaspoonful of Apricot kernels each day.

Bill

USA - Town's fluoride-removal vote stands

MOUNT DESERT: Town's fluoride-removal vote stands
In the wake of residents' controversial decision to remove fluoride from the water supply, town officials have fielded inquiries about how to overturn the vote, Town Clerk Joelle Nolan has confirmed.
Unfortunately for those who disagree with the town's voters, state law requires a two-year waiting period following any vote on fluoride.
The statute reads: "Whenever a single community water district has disapproved fluoride, it may not vote again on the matter for a minimum period of two years." The same is true for the addition of fluoride.
"That is the current statute," said Judy Feinstein, director of the state's oral health program, a division of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. "I think the reason for it is just to stop it from being an on-again-off-again sort of thing."
"I think the decision made by Mount Desert is regrettable, but we have all indications that it was conducted properly under the law," she said.
Mount Desert residents opted to remove fluoride from their water supply in a March 5 referendum following a public debate started by Paul Slack, director of the Mount Desert Water District. In his arguments against fluoridation, Slack cited a report issued by the National Academy of Sciences that details the detrimental health effects of fluoride. The report is cited frequently by those opposed to fluoridation of public water supplies to help reduce tooth decay.
Feinstein said a common misperception of the academy report is that it directly addresses community water supplies where fluoride is added. The academy did conclude that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's set fluoride maximum of four parts per million is too high to rule out bone problems and fluorosis. However, this recommendation is relevant only to communities where fluoride occurs naturally in the water supply and is harder to regulate, she said.
Water districts that add fluoride aim for between 0.7 and 1.2 ppm, the ideal range, according to the American Dental Association. The association and the CDC tout the fluoridation of water as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.
"It is fair to say that some issues deserve further investigation," Feinstein said of the academy report. The review concluded that a correlation between fluoride and bone cancer calls for further research. "Fluoride is like many other things," she said. "It continues to be evaluated as science develops."
Slack has no regrets about his campaign to eliminate fluoride from the public water supply, and he stands by his decision.
"We have to provide safe drinking water for everybody," he said. "Fluoride poses a high risk for babies if they receive too much."
- Mount Desert Islander, www.mdislander.com.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Ireland - fluoridated but still bad teeth

Irish kids eat sweets but avoid dentist
[Posted: Sun 22/04/2007]
By Angela Long
Dental hygiene among Irish children is among the worst in the western world, according to a comprehensive report from University College Cork.
By the age of 15, seven in 10 children have had significant tooth decay.
And if it were not for the fluoride in our water, children would have lots more cavities and dental problems.
The North South Survey of Oral Health of Children in Ireland was carried out by the Oral Health Services Research Centre at UCC. Nearly 20,000 children, north and south, were surveyed in 2002.
The researchers, led by Dr Helen Whelton, found that there was still a poor uptake of regular tooth brushing. Children's tooth-brushing habits here are at the level of those in Britain 20 years ago.
Irish children and teenagers ranked second in the world for daily sweet consumption at age 13, according to a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report cited by the UCC survey. Malta had the dubious distinction of first place.
The WHO study also found that tooth-brushing frequency (twice daily or more often) was lower than average in the Republic for girls than in the other 34 countries surveyed (67% compared to 73%). However, it was around average for boys (54% compared with 52%).
The findings supported the use of fluoride. Decay levels were much lower in 2002 than they were in 1984 among Irish children with fluoridated domestic water supplies.
The author of the study, Helen Whelton, said worries over fluorosis, a staining of the teeth cause by fluoride, should be balanced against prevention of caries.
Helen Whelton of UCC

"The magnitude of concern that a population of people may have for greater (more severe) levels of enamel fluorosis must be weighed against concern for a certain level of tooth decay," Dr Whelton said. Her centre is continuing to investigate the cosmetic effect of what they describe as mild enamel fluorosis.

One issue is whether fluoride toothpaste is a good thing. Research in counties Sligo and Leitrim found that eight-year-old children who had used such toothpaste in infancy had a high incidence of fluorosis.
Given our poor dietary and oral hygiene practices we are lucky to have water fluoridation to control dental caries," Dr Whelton said. "The potential health gain from better dietary and oral hygiene habits is vast, and better prevention and treatment for dental trauma is needed."
The study also showed a national reluctance to visit the dentist, which is reflected in the young. Only 42% of eight-year-olds and 50% of 15-year-olds visit the dentist once a year. In Northern Ireland, the respective figures are 92% and 91%.
Likewise, in the Republic 18% of 15-year-olds had never been to a dentist, compared to 2% in the North.
Dr Whelton said the level of decay here was remarkably low considering such figures, and fluoride was likely to be the reason. She said the dental service administered through schools in the Republic was good, but the overall system in Northern Ireland, which swings into action as soon as a baby is born, had better results.
As the WHO says:
“Every tooth in a man's head is more valuable than a diamond” 

Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) in Don Quixote

Comment attached to previous report is interesting.
Joe(joet61) Posted: 20/10/2006 14:06
But hell will freeze over before the Irish health authorities admit that fluoridation doesn't work. Ireland is the only democratic country in the world with mandatory fluoridation of public water. The ONLY reason fluoride is added to water is that it's supposed to prevent tooth decay in children. Most of the Irish population have been fluoridated for the past 40 years (Dublin since 1964); currently more than 70% are being dosed with unmeasured quantities of the poison. (The fluoride added to water is hydrofluorosilicic acid, one of the most dangerous artificial chemicals known to science.) EVEN THOUGH fluoride is not a nutrient of any sort, and NO ONE needs fluoride, EVER. While 75% of 15-year-olds have tooth decay, more than 40% have dental fluorosis -- the first visible sign of fluoride poisoning. This is admitted (reluctantly) by the health authorities!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

USA - New scientific developments subvert pro-fluoride position

Guest columnist: New scientific developments subvert pro-fluoride position
guest columnist
April 21, 2007
In recent months the News has written three or four editorials supporting the use of fluoride in public drinking water. I'd like to make residents aware of recent developments in the scientific community that contradict this view.
Dramatic developments have changed the scientific understanding of fluoridation's health risks. Most significant is the March 2006 report, "(Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards," issued by the National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences — our nation's top science adviser. This watershed report represents three years of deliberations by a balanced panel of 12 scientists and contains disturbing findings about fluoride's harm to human health.
Although fluoridation proponents claim the 450-page NRC report isn't relevant to fluoridation, it clearly cites newly identified adverse effects — most of which occur at, and even below, the 1 part-per-million level used for fluoridation. These include dental fluorosis, decreased thyroid function, impaired glucose tolerance (Type II pre-diabetes), arthritis (joint inflammation), brain cell damage and possible bone cancer in males. Hip fractures and lowered IQ in children were found to occur dangerously close to 1 ppm. Dr. Robert Isaacson, an author of the NRC report, said it "should be a wake-up call."
The report cited fluoridated tap water as the major dietary source of fluoride exposure. It also noted the wide range of individual fluoride doses due to the variable amounts ingested from both water and food. Many people are exposed to a total daily intake of fluoride that exceeds the amount now known to cause harm. In fact, fluoride received from food alone may exceed this amount. And, because of lower body weight, children receive three to four times the fluoride dose as compared to adults.

In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control reported 32 percent of all U.S. children now have dental fluorosis (mottled/stained tooth enamel). This visible evidence of systemic harm is caused by increasingly unavoidable exposure to fluoridated water, food and beverages processed with fluoridated water, toothpaste and dental products, fluoride pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and industrial air pollution. Despite this fluoride overload, tooth decay among disadvantaged children is epidemic — even in long-fluoridated cities — proving that fluoridation has dismally failed its intended target group.

Further, the American Dental Association has finally admitted that infants are at risk of fluoride overdose. It recently reversed its long-standing policy, stating that fluoridated water should not be used to prepare infant formula during the first year of life because of elevated risk of dental fluorosis. This admission of harm to the most vulnerable of our population is reason alone to end this practice.

The fluoridation controversy is no longer about tooth decay. It's about cumulative systemic effects of long-term fluoride ingestion. It's about disposal into our drinking water of a toxic, industrial grade waste from phosphate mining (hydrofluosilicic acid) for which there are zero safety studies. Ultimately, it's about an archaic health policy, set in stone 60 years ago, that falsely claims fluoridation is good for everyone and harms no one. Fluoridation proponents are entrenched in a scientifically insupportable position, and our health is on the line.
As public awareness continues to grow, enlightened cities across America are taking action to eliminate this toxin from their water (www.fluorideaction.net/).
Arena lives in Jensen Beach.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Canada - Decide on fluoride: city to Quebec

Decide on fluoride: city to Quebec
By Remo Zaccagna, The Suburban
Montreal has asked the provincial government to make a decision on whether cities should add fluoride to water, says a member of the executive committee.
However, the city wants to see all municipalities abide by whatever the government decides.
“In September, the mayor of Montreal, Mr. Gerald Tremblay, had forwarded a letter to Mr. [Philippe] Couillard, who was the Health Minister at the time and asked him to intervene on the fluoride issue for all of the cities in Quebec,” said Sammy Forcillo, executive committee member responsible for infrastructure, the roadway system and water management. “We had nobody among us on the executive committee that had the medical knowledge to say if it is good or not to fluoridate water.”
Forcillo said the city has not yet heard back from the health ministry, adding that the decision to consult Quebec was made to settle the issue for good.
He said the issue is one of public health and should not be left up to the cities to decide.
“For Montreal, given that the scientific community, or the medical community, is very divided on the subject, we prefer that the government of Quebec, if they are considering to fluoridate water, to not do it solely for Montreal, but for all of the municipalities of Quebec,” he said, adding that the city was also reluctant to impose on the rights of residents who did not want fluoride in their water.
“Why should we put fluoride in the water when there are people that don’t want it?”
Noushig Eloyan, leader of the opposition Vision Montreal party, agreed that the provincial government should not leave such a “controversial” decision up to cities.
She cited recent examples of Scandinavian countries and Holland who no longer fluoridate their drinking water.
“So why have they decided to abandon something that they imposed also some years back?” Eloyan said.
“I’m convinced that important issues like this cannot be left to the cities to decide. It’s a public issue, it’s a public health issue so the government has to take its responsibility like they did on other matters.”
She said whatever the government decides “it’s a public health issue, therefore it has to be debated publicly.”

USA - City council continues to hear aguments against fluoridation

City council continues to hear arguments against fluoridation
Staff Writer
Thursday, April 19, 2007
TROY — The debate over fluoridating public water supplies is "junk science, cheap trickery and fear tactics" versus more than 60 years of evidence.That's how Jim Luken, Miami County health commissioner, sees it. Luken told a City Council committee last week that fluoridation is "universal prevention ... cheap, inexpensive, harmless." Several attending the meeting, however, worried about the possible long-term effects of fluoride. Luken said the Centers for Disease Control, the American Dental Association and the Ohio Department of Health all endorse fluoridation of municipal water systems.

Healthy Teeth for Troy, a group of dental and medical professionals, is preparing to circulate petitions to get a fluoridation measure on the November ballot.The group would need 784 signatures by Aug. 23.
Troy and Covington are the only two municipal water systems in Miami County that aren't fluoridated. More than 90 percent of the municipal water systems in Ohio are fluoridated.Opponents pointed out dental and dietary education would be as effective as fluoridation without forcing everyone to drink fluoridated water.
Luken told the committee the "forced medication" argument is trumped by public health concerns. "Other 'forced medications' that we all know and accept are chlorine in our water supply to kill bacteria, niacin in our flour to prevent pellagra, iodine in our salt to prevent goiter, and vitamin D in our milk to prevent rickets and build strong bones."

"We get so many chemicals in our systems already," resident Howard Cooper said. "Now you want to add more?" Luken earlier had said fluoride was a naturally occurring trace element "in the air, the soil, the water, the rock, and even in mother's milk."
"This is the one thing we can do," local pediatrician Paul Weber said, "other than in a perfect world where every child regularly sees a dentist."

Startup costs would be around $300,000. Annual costs are estimated at $20,000-$25,000, which would be covered by state money for the first year.
Contact this reporter at (937) 335-3838
or dpage@DaytonDailyNews.com.

"Even in mother's milk?" I thought it wasn't in mother's milk at least not in fluoridation levels.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Taiwan - Western diet?

Poor oral hygiene is a serious problem among Taiwan elementary school students, with around 60 percent of them reporting having cavities in a recent survey, a Taipei city councilwoman said yesterday.
Councilwoman Lee Yen-hsiu of the opposition Kuomintang cited the results of a survey on 300 students at six Taipei elementary schools as indicating that 61 percent of the students have cavities, with nearly 30 percent of these students having at least three cavities and 12 percent having at least five cavities.

Lee pointed out that most parents, schools and children in Taiwan have not attached importance to dental care, leading to a high ratio of tooth decay among schoolchildren -- a ratio she claimed as the second highest in Asia, behind only that of the Philippines.

The ratio of Taiwan schoolchildren with cavities is three times that of schoolchildren in Hong Kong and Singapore, Lee added.

She noted that more than 40 percent of Taiwan parents will only take their children to see a dentist when they complain about toothache and that children have not formed the good habit of brushing their teeth regularly.

Taipei Dental Association President Chen Shih-yueh said that the national health insurance system currently only covers fluoride coating for children under the age of five, adding that coverage should be extended to children aged nine and below considering the teeth falling out process of children.

The Education Department of the Taipei City government said that to deal with the problem of cavities, it has appropriated NT$1.39 million (US$42,120) annually to cover the costs of dental examinations. The department has also arranged for dentists to visit schools regularly to provide dental care to students.

UK - Hampshire PCT Meeting

The seventh meeting of the Board of the Hampshire Primary Care Trust will take place in public at the Colbury Memorial Hall, Main Road, Colbury SO40 7EL at 2pm on Thursday 26 April 2007.

The meeting of the Board will be preceded by a public seminar session at the same venue from 1pm to 1.45pm. This session will focus on “NHS Dental Services” and members of the public are invited to attend.

Members of the public are also invited to attend for refreshments from 1.45pm, where members of the Board are available to take questions.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Can't have too much!

THE TOOTH HURTS

Q. My dentist has recommended a new toothpaste - Duraphat 2800 Fluoride Toothpaste. It is apparently only available on prescription. Are there any drawbacks or side effects from using it?

A. Duraphat 2800 toothpaste contains between two and three times as much fluoride as ordinary fluorinated toothpaste. It is designed to prevent dental decay in people who are at particularly high risk of dental problems. A few studies have shown that it is more effective than ordinary-strength toothpaste. I'm not quite sure why it is only available on prescription from dentists. It is definitely not recommended for children under the age of 10. If children get too much fluoride, there is a risk that their teeth will become permanently mottled or discoloured. As long as you use the high-strength toothpaste according to your dentist's recommendations, there shouldn't be any drawbacks or side effects. And it may well lead to healthier teeth in the long term.

We knew that

Uncensored how-to health books from NewsTarget / Truth Publishing:
Critics of fluoridation gained more ammunition from a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stating that trace amounts of arsenic are entering drinking water by means of the chemicals used in fluoridation.
• Water is fluoridated by means of the chemicals sodium fluoride, sodium fluorosilicate, and fluorosilicic acid (FSA). These chemicals are byproducts from the manufacture of phosphate-based fertilizers.
• Trace amounts of contaminants from fertilizer production -- including antimony, barium, beryllium and arsenic -- remain in these fluoridation chemicals and can then be transferred to water.
• Tests by the National Sanitation Foundation discovered arsenic in sample batches of FSA. An increased concentration of between 0.43 and 1.66 parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic in fluoridated water was attributable to FSA.
• The Environmental Protection Agency has set the maximum contaminant level of arsenic in water at 10 ppb.
• Studies have shown, however, that concentrations as low as 1 ppb can increase people's risk of developing bladder or lung cancer.
• Quote: "We're glad the CDC finally admits that arsenic can be found in fluoridation chemicals. But the CDC should go further and list all undesirable chemicals and impurities allowed in the fluoridation chemicals, and make it publicly known so consumers truly can make an informed choice." - Paul Beeber, president of the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation
What you need to know - Alternative View
Statements and opinions by Mike Adams, executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center
• The practice of fluoridating public water supplies is nothing more than a clever way to dispose of industrial waste chemicals by feeding them to the population rather than paying for proper hazardous waste disposal.
• There are absolutely no dental or medical benefits whatsoever derived from the ingestion of fluorosilicic acid. Pro-fluoride propagandists try to confuse the public into thinking that fluorosilicic acid is the same as natural fluoride, but it isn't. FSA is an EPA-regulated toxic waste chemical that should never be dripped into public water supplies unless, of course, you're a terrorist trying to poison the population. In that scenario, FSA is quite effective at harming large numbers of people

The UK Chief Medical Officer admits contaminiation but says it is within limits allowed.
The UK's Water (Fluoridation) Act 1985, since incorporated into the 1991 Water Industry Act, allows hexafluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6) and disodium hexafluorosilicate (Na2SiF6) to be used to increase the fluoride content of water. The published Code of Practice on Technical Aspects of Fluoridation of Water Supplies (Department of the Environment, 1987) gives specifications for these substances and states that 'the product. ..must not contain any mineral or organic substances capable of impairing the health of those drinking water correctly treated with the product'. For H2SiF6, limits are given for a number of possible impurities, including for iron, heavy metals, sulphate, phosphate, and chloride. The specification for Na2SiF6 powder requires a minimum of 98% m/m of the pure chemical, and gives maximum limits for impurities, including heavy metals (as lead) and iron. No other substances are allowed to be used in the fluoridation process, other than an anti-caking agent (the identity of which must be disclosed) in the case of Na2SiF6. Synthetic detergents are not permitted.

NZ - Fluoride back on agenda

Fluoride back on agenda
By HEATHER McCRACKEN - Central Leader | Wednesday, 18 April 2007
Officials are pushing to put fluoride in Onehunga's water supply.
It's on a list of projects planned for the 2007-08 financial year that went before an Auckland District Health Board committee meeting on April 5.
Auckland region principal dental officer Sathananthan Kanagaratnam says the move would reduce the number of preschoolers with serious tooth decay.
Dr Kanagaratnam says dental therapists treat three-year-olds with decay and cavities in half their baby teeth.
He says 2005 school dental clinic figures showed five-year-olds who didn't drink fluoridated water had 8 percent more cavities and decay than those who did.
Onehunga's groundwater bore supply has never been fluoridated, and a 2001 postal survey showed 62 percent of residents wanted it to stay that way.
But Dr Kanagaratnam says there is no evidence of harmful effects except fluorosis, a mottling and pitting of the tooth enamel.
"Lots of people have looked at it from various angles. To date there's not one study clearly pointing out harmful effects," he says.
"I'm quite confident to say that it's perfectly all right to add fluoride."
Auckland city councillor John Hinchcliff says studies around the world have proven the chemical's toxic effects.
And in February he asked the council's works and services committee to stop adding fluoride to Auckland's water supply while experts considered the evidence.
"I did a lot of research and determined that it's a mistake, as most places around the world are beginning to realise," he says.
Dr Hinchcliff says fluorosis can be just as damaging for teeth as decay and cavities. Effective brushing and flossing has more impact on oral health than fluoride, he says. The committee rejected the proposal, which also asked for a city-wide referendum and warning signs on fluoride tablets, toothpaste and mouth rinses.
"There's enough evidence to say, `hold on a moment, let's think it through seriously'," Dr Hinchcliff says. "And I don't think we've done that."
The Central Leader made repeated attempts to get more information from the health board. Spokeswoman Fleur King says their position has not changed since chief medical officer David Sage told councillors in February there is no scientific controversy over fluoride. He said credible agencies in New Zealand and overseas support fluoridation as a safe and effective public health measure.
What do you think? Email a letter to: edcl@snl.co.nz.

To date there's not one study clearly pointing out harmful effects," he says. Really?

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Australia - Virginality, minerality or gullibility? Why are we drowning in bottled water?

In the 1992 film The Player, Tim Robbins’ slimy movie executive, Griffin Mill, orders different brands of bottled water in every scene, often sending them back as you might a corked wine. Director Robert Altman no doubt intended this as a comment on the stratospheric snootiness of Hollywood, using boutique water as the gold standard for pretentiousness.

Fifteen years later, in one sense at least, we have all become Griffin Mills. Bottled water is big business in Australia, where the market has grown by 42 per cent since 2002. Australians drank 252 million litres of the stuff in 2006, at a cost of $385 million..............

Maybe they don't like the fluoride and chlorine?

Another 4 pages

UK - SURVEY SHOWS POOR STATE OF KIDS' TEETH

SURVEY SHOWS POOR STATE OF KIDS' TEETH
12:00 - 16 April 2007
Almost half of North-east five-year-olds have tooth decay, new figures show.
A study found that across Grampian 44.5% of children surveyed had filled, decayed or missing teeth.The British Association of Community Dentistry surveyed 240,000 five-year-old children across Britain.
In Scotland, 46% of youngsters showed signs of decay, with the highest figure of 53% in Glasgow.Only 9% of the Scots children had access to an NHS dentist - and 7% in Grampian.Overall, Wales had the highest average tooth decay rate in Britain, at 53%, while England's average rate was 38%.

Monday, April 16, 2007

UK - Third of children hit by tooth decay

Third of children hit by tooth decay
By Adam Stones
Last Updated: 1:15am BST 16/04/2007
More than a third of British children have suffered tooth decay, missing teeth or fillings by the age of five.
Dentists say parents' careless regard for their children's sugar intake is the root cause of the problem. The study of 240,000 children aged five and six was carried out by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry.
It revealed that 38 per cent were affected in England, 46 per cent in Scotland and 53 per cent in Wales. In some parts of the country three quarters of five-year-olds suffering tooth decay.
England, this meant that the problem had improved by only one per cent since the previous survey in 2004, despite high-profile campaigns to improve diets.
Derek Watson, chief executive of the Dental Practitioners Association, said: "I am not surprised by the figures - just disappointed. We should have expected a greater decrease. We know what causes it and we know how to prevent it. If we cut sugar out of our diet we would end tooth decay. But if we really want to prevent it, we have to make it worthwhile for the dentists.
"There is no point cutting their budget by half if they cut the level of decay by half - we need to tell them that if they cut patients from 10 to five, they will be paid for eight. It makes economic sense for the dentist and it cuts tooth decay - everyone's a winner. There has been no serious attempt to look at prevention for over 20 years and that's criminal."
Children in Mid-Essex have the best teeth in England with just 21 per cent having tooth decay. Middlesborough, 60 per cent, and Manchester, 61 per cent, were among the worst areas.
The highest level in Scotland was found in Glasgow, 53 per cent, and the lowest level was in the Forth Valley, 32 per cent.
The highest rate in Wales was in Merthyr Tydfil, 76 per cent, with the lowest rate being in Conwy, 41 per cent.

HALF OF SCOTS TOTS HAVE ROTTEN TEETH

HALF OF SCOTS TOTS HAVE ROTTEN TEETH
The other half are doing something right

Kids are worst in UK before they even start school
By Natalie Walker
SCOTS kids have the worst teeth in the UK, with nearly half having decay, fillings or missing teeth by the age of just five. A study of 240,000 school kids across the UK found 46 per cent of Scots youngsters suffered tooth decay by the time they started primary one. This compared with 39 per cent in England and Wales.
But the study also revealed that just nine per cent of kids in Scotland had an NHS dentist, compared with 11 per cent in the rest of the UK.
Kids in Glasgow had the worst teeth, with just over half suffering decay by the time they were five.
Youngsters in Lanarkshire had the second highest level of tooth decay at that age, followed by Ayrshire and Arran, the study found.
Forth Valley kids were the least likely to have bad teeth, with 32 per cent found to have decay by the time they started school.
The figures are a slight improvement on a 2005 survey, when 49 per cent of Scots five-year-olds had tooth decay.
Study author Nigel Pitts, director of Dundee University's dental health services research unit, said fluoridation of the water supply could help to reduce the problem.
He said: "The figures show a small improvement for Scotland but there is clear evidence mass fluoridation would help make things better."
In the West Midlands, where public water is fluoridated, less than a third of kids had decayed teeth.
Andrew Lamb, the British Dental Association's director for Scotland, also backed demands for adding fluoride to water supplies.
In 2004, a plan to add fluoride to water in Scotland was scrapped after opposition.

They never give up

Nepal - Where Is Our Development Headed?

...................The current technology development mode has taken a wrong path in many respects. Let’s take example of water treatment. Preposterous treatment practices such as the addition of chlorine to ‘purify’; the use of toxic chemicals (soap) to get rid of dirt (the most potent natural cleaning agent on earth); the use of glycol (very toxic) for freezing or drying (getting rid of water) a product; use of chemical CO2 to render water into dehydrating agent (opposite to what is promoted as ‘refreshing’), then again demineralization followed by the addition of extra oxygen and ozone to ‘vitalize’ water. The list never ends. To make the situation worse, many western cities continues to promote fluoride addition to water (original intention was to grow better teeth) even when fluoride-free tooth paste make brisk sales. Chlorine treatment of water is common in the west and is synonymous with civilization. As various studies have shown that the residual chlorine in water produces by products such as trihalomethanes that causes cancers, there are some other chemicals such as sodium thiosulphate added to ‘dechlorinate’ the water. It has already been proved that ‘sodium thiosulphate’ is also not risk free and it seems that there is a need to remove this chemical from water by probably adding another chemical, hence the addition of chemicals continue forever making the quality of water the worst possible. More recent so called ‘innovations’ in water treatment such as Ozone, artificial UV and even H2O2 are proving to be worse than any other technology ever discovered. Despite such disastrous outcomes, developing countries like Nepal are engaged in taking pride in introducing these technologies, often paid with borrowed (at very high interest rate) money from World Bank or IMF, much of which is spent for hiring consultants from ‘donors’ themselves. Hence, chemical treatment technique promoted as water purification has taken a down turn. This modus operandi can only have the most profound devastation to the whole human civilization. ..................

A long read and a bit bit depressing

USA - Lebanon awaits results of fluoridation program

Lebanon awaits results of fluoridation program
April 15, 2007
LEBANON — Less than six years after this Willamette Valley town began adding fluoride to its drinking water, dentists say its too early to see if it has reduced tooth decay. But they want to keep the project going.
“The benefits of fluoridation would be hard to measure in the population of my practice after just this amount of time,” said Dennis Clark, who has practiced dentistry in Lebanon for 25 years. “The beneficial effects will be most observable in a generation.”................................
Lebanon dentist John Shader agreed.

“Maybe at 20 years you’ll see results. But I don’t think you can dispute the benefits,” he said............

Worth printing again

USA - Walkers brave cold for cause

..........Emphasizing the seriousness of dental problems, Spitzer said that she knew of a mother whose gums were so infected she was continuously sick and vomiting, making it nearly impossible to care for her children.
"A lot of people don't realize dental health disease is five times more common than asthma," said Christine Farrell, Medicaid policy specialist for the Michigan Department of Community Health. "It's not going down and we need to start preventing it so it does go down."
In the Lansing area, 40 percent of children seen for dental care need a follow up, compared to the national average of 20 percent, said Ivan Love, executive director of Capitol Area Community Services.
Treatment for adults with decayed teeth costs around $1,000, Spitzer said, sum of money most uninsured families don't have.
Lauren Hall-Tate, a dentist in East Lansing, emphasized the importance of starting oral care at a young age.
"Early decay can make kids not like the dentist, and less likely to see a dentist later on," Hall-Tate said.
Contact Andrea Byl at 377-1061 or abyl@lsj.com.

Lansing Michigan is fluoridated NYSCOF

Sunday, April 15, 2007

UK - NURSES SENT IN TO STOP THE ROT


NURSES SENT IN TO STOP THE ROT
BY CATHY BUSS
HEALTH CORRESPONDENT

10:30 - 14 April 2007
Nurses could be sent into schools to teach youngsters to clean their teeth after it emerged up to half of all five-year-olds across Leicestershire have tooth decay.
Experts say about 4,600 young children across the county have dental problems - and most are being caused by eating fast food, sweets and fizzy drinks.
Health bosses say the numbers of children affected are rising each year and the only way to tackle the situation is to change children's diets and teach them to clean their teeth properly.
Dr Carol Mander, consultant in dental public health across Leicester, said: "Teeth are so important."Decay is preventable and we need to make sure parents know to use a fluoride toothpaste and have good information to make the right choices on their children's sugar intake."It is vital children have regular dental check-ups.
"We are working with schools and health visitors to make sure this information is out there."Another idea we are looking at is going into nursery and primary schools and teaching children how to clean their teeth properly."
In Leicester, there are 4,000 five-year olds. A survey showed half of them had needed dental treatment for two rotten, missing or filled teeth in the past year alone. In the county more than 2,630 were treated - 36 per cent.
In one case, city dentist Chris Lucas treated a two-year-old where every tooth was decayed or needed fillings.He said: "I have seen a massive increase in the amount of tooth decay in children in the last seven years.
"We know decay can, in some instances, be halted or even reversed and so put a lot into educating people about oral hygiene."
Unless caught early, decay can store up a host of future problems.In older children, a build up plaque can even lead to teeth being eroded away.It is a message Blaby youngster Tarun Sharma, 11, wishes he had heard earlier.
He has faced three years of intensive dental treatment for a series of fillings to halt decay."I didn't realise how bad sweets were and never bothered much with brushing. But then I started getting all sorts of swelling in my mouth where there was infection and it really hurt.
"I really wish I had looked after my teeth," he said.Tarun limits himself to sweets and fizzy drinks once a week and spends two minutes every morning and evening brushing his teeth.His dentist, Shrikesh Kotecha, had to fill or take out half of Tarun's 20 milk teeth, but after years of intensive treatment he believes the youngster's second teeth are in good shape.
He said: "Seeing teeth like Tarun's is not uncommon and I am glad we have been able to turn his situation around."We are one of the few practices which has someone specialising in teaching patients about oral hygiene which is key to good teeth."
To prevent tooth decay, experts recommend brushing teeth for two minutes morning and night, using a fluoride toothpaste, avoiding giving babies sweet drinks in bottles, and avoiding sweets, fizzy drinks and other high-sugar products.
Health experts said the problems were down to education and not poor access to dental services for children.
Dr Mander said: "Dentists have the capacity to treat children and the treatment is free."

China - Residents as young as six have decaying teeth

AFP News brief
Coal burning having a devastating impact on rural Chinese
by Benjamin Morgan
Zhang Huaixiang's thin wasted frame dangles from his wooden crutches, his bowed legs swelled by a disease contracted from a lifelong reliance on coal.Zhang, 57, a farmer in Guizhou province in the nation's mountainous southwest, has been near bed-ridden for a year, unable to walk properly due to the rotting of his bones and joints from fluoride poisoning.
"My knees just hurt too much," Zhang told AFP outside his grey-walled concrete room subsidised by the government.
He also receives 50 yuan (6.45 US dollars) a month for food, but his brother-in-law, Li Xiaoxin, also a farmer, said it was not nearly enough.
"I work and live one day and then take care of him the next," said Li, 65.
Zhang is one of 42 million people in China with fluorosis, a condition caused by ingesting too much fluoride, which corrodes the teeth, pitting them and turning them a rusty brown, in cases of excessive, prolonged exposure.
In severe cases like Zhang's, the mineral also weakens the bones and stiffens the joint ligaments, eventually making movement difficult and painful, much like osteoarthritis does.
In many developed countries, fluoride, which is often naturally occurring in water and also coal, is added to toothpaste and drinking water.
Since the 1960s many medical experts have believed that small amounts of fluoride helps prevent tooth decay and strengthen bones.
However, the claimed benefits have increasingly drawn fire from medical experts who say that there are no tangible health advantages to the human body.
Several European countries over the last five years have stopped public water fluoridation programmes amid questions whether the mineral does more harm than good.
At its most severe, fluorosis results in the type of paralysis Zhang now has, and can even lead to cancer and brain damage. The sickness is incurable.
In China, where coal is still a primary cooking and heating fuel in rural areas, the disease is especially prevalent because the fluoride-carrying fumes from coal burnt inside homes pollute the air and the food.
According to Zhijin health bureau officials, the condition is particularly widespread in Guizhou because two regional food staples, corn and red peppers, are dried inside. The rising coal smoke then laces the food with fluoride.
Wang Jianjun, a vice director of the local health bureau, said extended educational campaigns have helped raise awareness of the disease, which can easily be avoided through the use of other cooking fuels.
But the cheapness and availability of coal in rural China has meant that old practices die hard, Wang said.
"We educate the villagers through television, radio and posters, let them know the cause and harm of the disease," he said. "It's very hard to change people's habits."
Wang added that it was not until 1978 that people knew what caused the disease, so China's older generation stood no chance of avoiding contamination.
Ma Wenbo, director of the health bureau, said that one partially successful solution was getting residents to install chimneys in their homes. Another measure was the use of gas made from manure.
However, the disease is still endemic and in Guizhou, a stunning 92 percent of the province's 37 million people are estimated to have some form of fluorosis.
While only about 4,000 people have severe skeletal fluorosis, said Ma, a look around in Zhijin reveals that residents as young as six have decaying teeth that are severely discoloured and other signs of the disease.
Nationwide more than 2.8 million have some form of skeletal fluorosis, according to data published in 2005 by China's national health ministry.
The condition is so common in rural China, where 800 million of the nation's 1.3 billion people live, that the health ministry estimates that 100 million are at risk.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

New Scientist

Pollution far below the level seen as dangerous for aquatic life has nevertheless dramatically altered animal behaviour in North American lakes. Heavy metals are knocking out the sense of smell in organisms from bacteria to fish. Even we may not be immune.................................

Oppose mandatory fluoridation

Oppose mandatory fluoridation
Paul Connett
April 13, 2007
In his April 7 guest opinion on fluoridation, Gordon Empey provides a classic example of the dangers of allowing the issue of water fluoridation to be captured by the dental lobby. Empey addressed the same sub-committee that I did recently. I am surprised that he learned so little from the scientific evidence I presented.
Teeth are not the only tissue in the human body which warrants our protection. What person in their right mind would put the protection of their children’s teeth over protecting their brains and other delicate tissues? The level of fluoride added to water — 1 ppm — may seem small to some but it is 250 times higher than the level that occurs in mothers’ milk. This means that a bottle fed baby will be getting 250 times more fluoride than nature intended and at a time when its blood brain barrier is not fully developed. There have now been over 30 animals studies which indicate that fluoride can damage the brain (e.g. Varner et al., 1998) and over 18 studies which indicate that fluoride lowers IQ in children at levels as low as 1.8 ppm (Xiang et al. 2003 a, b).

There is no indication that Empey has read the serious literature on this topic. He seems blissfully unaware that the National Research Council has produced a 500 page report (with over 1,000 references) reviewing the many tissues that fluoride can damage and some at very low doses (NRC, 2006). The conclusion of this panel’s three and a half year study was that the EPA should lower its maximum contaminant level for fluoride in water from 4 ppm. That leaves no adequate margin of safety for fluoridation at 1 ppm, when one considers that in any population there is at least a 10-fold range in sensitivity to any drug or toxic substance and once in the water the dose cannot be controlled.

Instead of citing the primary literature on this matter, Empey cites the CDC’s infamous quote from 1999 which stated that fluoridation was one of the top 10 public health achievements of the twentieth century. However, if he had read the report on which this statement was based, he would have seen that the authors were six years out of date on safety (they cite only one review from 1993) and their evidence for its effectiveness was laughable. The decline in tooth decay in 12-year-olds, which they ascribe to the increase in the number of people drinking fluoridated water in the U.S., according to figures from the World Health Organization, is more than matched by similar declines in non-fluoridated countries.
Furthermore, if Empey had read this CDC report, he would have found that the authors conceded that fluoride works topically (i.e. from the outside of the tooth) and not from inside the body. Thus, swallowing fluoride makes as much sense as swallowing sunblock to protect against UV light!
With so little evidence of benefit (Brunelle and Carlos, 1990; Spencer et al. 1996; de Liefde, 1998; Locker, 1999; McDonagh et al, 2000; Armfield and Spencer, 2004 and Prizzo et al, 2007) and the evidence for serious health effects growing (NRC, 2006), including life threatening bone cancer in young boys (Bassin, 2006), it is preposterous to be proposing mandatory fluoridation in Oregon.
One can only guess what motivates the ADA and the CDC to keep promoting this foolish practice, but it is certainly not based upon a diligent attention to scientific studies on the matter.
Paul Connett is Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. He can be reached at Paul@AmericanHealthStudies.org.

USA - Support fluoridation of public water supplies

Support fluoridation of public water supplies
James K. Lace
April 13, 2007
Drinking optimally fluoridated community water has helped to prevent needless suffering from dental disease. The CDC has cited community water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. It is included along with adding Vitamin D to milk to prevent rickets, adding iodine to salt to prevent thyroid disease and adding chlorine to water supplies to prevent transmission of harmful microorganisms.
The American Dental Association, the U.S. Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization support fluoridation of community water supplies.
In Oregon, a minority of people are able to drink optimally fluoridated water. Salem has been fluoridated for 50 years. Dentists noted a 65 percent decrease in children’s cavities after the fluoride supplementation was begun. The state as a whole is ranked at third from the bottom when compared to other states.
Fluoridation of public water supplies protects children from dental disease. It is most important to have children drink fluoridated water while their teeth are being formed. Medically prescribed fluoride supplements cost a relatively large amount of money and must be given on a daily basis. Drinking fluoridated water is done without prescription and without daily reminders to take some drops or pills. For every $1 spent on water fluoride supplementation, we save $38 on dental care.
Children’s oral health is just as important as medical health. I have been practicing in Salem for 30 years and have had to hospitalize children with dental abscesses that have eroded into the skull. I have to do presurgical evaluations on children so that they can undergo general anesthesia to have their teeth repaired. The state spends up to $10,000 on each child for such reconstructive care by dentists. As a taxpayer, I want the state to do as much as possible to prevent the horrendous cavities in the first place by providing fluoridated water to these children.
Using the power of evidenced based medicine as applied to large population based studies, the argument for the positive effects of fluoridated water far outweighs the negative effects. After nearly 60 years of research and experience, the vast weight of scientific evidence shows that fluoridation of public water supplies is safe and effective.
HB 3099 is all about children and protecting them. The anti-fluoridation groups have chosen to pick on one of most vulnerable groups in our society. They are single handedly discriminating against children who are usually in the lower socio-economic and minority groups. These children do not have the same access to dental care and suffer the most from poor dental health. How can they feel good about themselves when they lay their heads on their pillows at night knowing that they are going after these children who would benefit from the addition of fluoride in drinking water? I would encourage the legislators to have enough courage to enact this legislation this session.
James K. Lace of Salem is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at OHSU and past-president of the Oregon Pediatric Society. He can be reached at Childhood Health Associates of Salem, 891 23rd St. NE, Salem, OR 97301 or (503) 364-2181.

I hope the NYSCOF rebuff this

UK - BDHF survey opened up

BDHF survey opened up
12th April 2007
Dental professionals can now take part in the National Dental Survey 2007 after the organisers launched a new category to look at the views of the industry.
The National Dental Survey, conducted every year for National Smile Month by the British Dental Health Foundation, has become an important tool in exploring the attitudes and dental habits of the UK public.
However, this year the Foundation is looking to develop a more rounded picture of dental health in the UK, and will be running the dental professionals’ survey alongside the public survey on the website: www.nationalsmilemonth.org
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the BDHF, said: ‘The new profession facing survey is open to anyone currently working in dentistry including dentists, dental nurses, oral health educators, hygienists, dental therapists, dental receptionists and practice managers.


‘The survey covers a range of issues, from water fluoridation to NHS funding, and will give dental professionals a chance to air their views in confidence.

‘After a difficult year for dentistry we are urging all members of the dental community to spare five minutes to take the survey. The information gathered will provide an important document on dentistry in 2007. We hope that the results can be used to encourage debate on a number of key dental issues.’

To take the Public Survey go to National Dental Survey It does ask if you want fluoridation.

National Smile Month 2007 runs from 13 May to 12 June under the theme ‘Two Minutes Twice a Day’.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Canada - Coalition urges Quebec to force Montreal to fluoridate water

Coalition urges Quebec to force Montreal to fluoridate water
'Epidemic of tooth decay'. Group represents dentists, physicians, social workers
ALAN HUSTAK, The Gazette
Published: Thursday, April 12, 2007
The Quebec government was urged yesterday to force the city of Montreal to fluoridate its water supply and end what is described as "an epidemic of tooth decay" among the city's preschoolers.
A coalition that claims to represent dentists, physicians, dental hygienists and social workers wants deputy health minister Alain Poirier to invoke Article 55 of the Public Health Act, which would require the city to implement recommendations regarding fluoridation made last year by the city's public health director, Richard Lessard.
Lessard sent a letter to Mayor Gerald Tremblay last June urging the city to fluoridate Montreal's drinking water as quickly as possible. Tremblay - like other Montreal mayors before him - refuses to act, claiming there is no consensus on the benefits of fluoridation.
Stephane Schwartz, head of the Coalition de Montreal pour des dents en sante, told a news conference yesterday there is incontrovertible evidence that fluoridation stops tooth decay.
The most obvious example, she said, was the city of Dorval's experience. During the two years the suburb stopped fluoridating its water supply so it could to upgrade its water filtration plant, cavities there increased, she says.
Last year, the city of Montreal tried to force Dorval to stop fluoridation altogether, claiming Montreal has the right to control all the island's municipal infrastructures. Dorval appealed; the Quebec government overruled Montreal and allowed Dorval to continue to use the cavity-fighting process.
"The law is clear. It stipulates that when the government identifies a risk to public health it has the right to intervene," Schwartz said. "It took action in Dorval. If Montreal doesn't want to believe its own public health officials, the time has come to ask the province to intervene."
Schwartz, head of the department of dentistry at Montreal Children's Hospital, says 70 per cent of preschool youngsters in certain Montreal neighbourhoods have evidence of tooth decay.
"Think of it: If even 15 per cent of children in the city were infected with a gastrointestinal virus, or with bacterial fever, everyone would be crying for government action. Tooth decay is a serious health problem of epidemic proportions. In the years Dorval stopped fluoridation (2003-06), the rate of tooth decay in children doubled from eight per cent in 2003 to 16 per cent in 2006."
Proponents of fluoride say the process helps to build strong teeth from the bone out and protects enamel from being eaten away by bacteria.
ahustak@thegazette.canwest.com

Fluoridation started 5 years a go and we are told you have to wait a generation before benefits - take fluoride out for 2 years rampant decay?

USA - The fluoride debate: Hear the pros and cons of fluoride in city water

It has been a longtime debate — to fluoridate or not to fluoridate the water system in Cadillac. According to Dr. James Wilson, the city of Cadillac is the largest city in Michigan that doesn’t add fluoride to the water. Although that is the case, Cadillac City Manager Pete Stalker said the city isn’t opposed to the idea.
“There is a rich history on this issue. It was brought up to residents for a vote four times, and each time it was turned down,” Stalker said. “In the past 10 years, it has come up many times before council. And after reviewing it, we decided to maintain a policy that if the people want it, we can do it. But it is going to take a vote.”
There is a one-time cost of $60,000 for equipment if the city were to add fluoride to the system. After that, city director of utilities Larry Campbell there would be a $30,000 annual chemical cost.
With Cedar Creek Township possibly initiating its own water supply and system, the subject of fluoride was brought up by Dr. James Wilson.
“According to The American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control, fluoridation of public water supplies is one of the top 10 public health successes of the 20th century,” he said.
On the other hand, advocates against fluoride believe areas that don’t have fluoride added artificially are lucky.
“The benefits of water fluoridation has been exaggerated by its proponents, while its long-term health risks have yet to be adequately addressed,” said Michael Connett, research director for the Fluoride Action Network.
Pro: Why Cadillac should add fluoride to water supply
Dr James Wilson, Cadillac, Mich.
Fluoride is a natural element that occurs in the earth’s water. The concentration can be manipulated to one part per million to significantly reduce dental decay and prevent osteoporosis. The fluoridation of public water supplies started in 1945 in Grand Rapids and the practice is considered one of the Top 10 Public Health Achievements of the 20th century.

This practice is endorsed by most medical and dental associations, including the American Dental Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization, as do many others.
Along with consuming less sugar, chewing Xylitol gum, good dental hygiene with flossing, brushing and using topical fluoride (toothpaste and rinses), fluoride in the drinking water can reduce decay 40 to 65 percent. Fluoride becomes incorporated in the fluorospatite material of the enamel to make the tooth resistant to decay. Fluoride in saliva may also be important in preventing tooth decay.
Currently more than 140 million Americans live in fluoridated communities. The poor and the children benefit most by this public health practice. Fluoride also becomes incorporated into the bones of the body to strengthen them.

If a new water supply is to be created in Cedar Township, then fluoridation of that public water supply should be instituted. The city of Cadillac is the largest city in Michigan without a fluoridated water supply. It is time the health of the general community should be promoted and the water supplies should be fluoridated.

Con: Why Cadillac water should be kept fluoride-free
By Michael Connett and Bill Osmunson, DDS, MPH
Citizens of Cadillac are lucky to enjoy water free of artificially added fluoride. While spiking water supplies with fluoride chemicals remains a popular idea with dentists here in the U.S., the practice has been rejected by most advanced western democracies, including 97 percent of western Europe.
Why did Europe reject fluoridation? Because too many questions persist about the safety of the practice, and because adding a drug to the water supply is not only bad medicine, but bad ethics as well. According to the Swedish scientist and Nobel Prize laureate Dr. Arvid Carlsson, the one-size-fits-all approach of fluoridation “is against all principles of modern pharmacology. It’s obsolete.”

Despite not adding a drop of fluoride to their water, communities in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands have experienced greater declines in tooth decay than fluoridated towns in the U.S. Similarly, recent surveys here in Michigan, Missouri, New York and Washington State have failed to find any superiority in the oral health of kids drinking fluoridated water.

All drugs have side effects, and fluoride is no exception (just read the warning labels on any fluoride toothpaste). According to the latest review from the U.S. National Research Council (NRC), exposure to fluoride may weaken bones, cause joint pain, disrupt the thyroid and damage the brain.
Even the American Dental Association recently issued an advisory that infants should not drink fluoridated water — due to the risk of developing dental fluorosis.
The take home message: Water is for everyone, but fluoride is not. Cadillac should reject fluoridation.
Bill Osmunson is a practicing dentist and a spokesperson for the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). Michael Connett is FAN’s Research Director. FAN’s Web site is: www.FluorideAlert.Org.
Your local connection
When it comes to fluoride in the water system, Cadillac is the largest city in Michigan that doesn’t add fluoride to the water system. Although it isn’t opposed to the idea, the city’s stance is to let the residents decide for themselves.
In four separate occasions, residents voted against adding fluoride to the city’s water system. The years were 1965, 1973, 1976 and 1977.

Israel - New Dental Aesthetic Technology

YOKNEAM, ISRAEL -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/12/07 -- Syneron Medical Ltd. (NASDAQ: ELOS) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Fluorinex Active, an Israeli-based start-up to develop advanced fluoridation and tooth whitening devices for dentists and consumers.

Fluorinex has developed a unique device that delivers fluoride ions directly to the tooth enamel via a sophisticated electro-chemical technique. The Fluorinex technology delivers the maximum amount of fluoride ions to the tooth, for the longest endurance of time known today. However, unlike other electro-chemical based fluoride systems, no electric current passes through the patient's tissue, thus enhancing the safety of the device. Fluorinex has also begun development of a tooth whitening system based on the same principles and technology as its fluoride delivery system. .....................

USA - Holmen board keeps fluoride issue alive

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Holmen board keeps fluoride issue alive
By BOB SEAQUIST/Special to the Tribune
HOLMEN, Wis. — Holmen has not seen the end of fluoride for its water supply.
The village board Thursday turned away a motion to keep fluoride out of its public water supply by a 4-3 vote.
Holmen remains one of the largest municipalities in Wisconsin not to add the substance, which supporters say prevents tooth decay and detractors say is mass medication at best and mass poisoning at worst.
“We haven’t seen the end of it,” said board member Mark Seitz.
Seitz and board member Ryan Olson suggested the board’s Finance and Personnel Committee take a look at the issue and what it would cost.
“My biggest concern about fluoridation is the cost, which I think is not prohibitive,” said Seitz.
“The benefits of (fluoridating the water supply) are clear — it is cost-effective for public health,” said Olson. “The majority of village residents want it.”
Olson said all Minnesota cities and 90 percent of Wisconsin municipalities have fluoridated water. “You don’t hear those residents agitating to get out of it,” he said.
Thursday’s meeting generated some small fireworks between Village President John Chapman and Olson, with Chapman saying Olson had a conflict of interest because his family’s business owns the building used by fluoridation proponent Randall Moseng, a dentist who is chairman of Holmen Citizens for Better Dental Health.
“You should disclose that your family rents to Dr. Moseng,” said Chapman.
“It infuriates me you are accusing me of taking my oath of office frivolously,” Olson fired back. “The voters can determine if I have conflicts.”
Voting against the resolution to keep fluoride out of the water supply were Ron Allers, Nancy Proctor, Olson and Seitz.
Voting for it — and thus against fluoridation — were Rich Anderson, Neil Forde and Chapman.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Southampton Echo letter

Southampton is in the forefront of the fluoride battle. The local Primary Care Trust asked the Strategic Health Authority to look at the possibility of introducing it. They in turn are consulting the Water Company before launching a propaganda blitz on local people.

Canada - Drinking water deemed safe: town staff

North Star, News, Wednesday, April 11, 2007
by Stephannie Johnson | more by this writer
PARRY SOUND – Despite a report sighting three separate instances of insufficient disinfectants in the water filtration plant, town staff assure residents they have safe drinking water.
In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, the report was conducted by Abacus Engineering and Planning Services Inc. covering the period from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006 at the Tony Agnello Membrane Water Filtration Facility.
The report, which was distributed to town council last month, noted a total of five failures to meet requirements, which included “a fluoride spike”, “low chlorine residual distribution” and “low adequate disinfection”.
Brian Sheridan, town director of operations said a number of electronic monitoring systems are in place to alert staff when “we’re out of the appropriate range.”
The three incidents of low chlorine at the facility did not threaten residents because the facility automatically adds chlorine when the water comes in and as it leaves, Mr. Sheridan said.

“The fluoride spike tends to be a technicality because (the acceptable range) is broad for fluoride,” said Mr. Sheridan. “And fluoride is not required (by law) in the water. A shift in fluoride is not a threat to public safety.”

Low chlorine residual distribution means the chlorine levels drop too much as water travels further from the treatment plant and spends more time in area pipes. Mr. Sheridan said chlorine in water deteriorates over time and distance, depending on how long it sits in a tower or pipes or how far it has to travel.
“We check various spots and look for a drop below the amount in the distribution system,” said Mr. Sheridan.
If low levels are found, which was in the case once last year, the area is flushed out until proper levels are returned.
The report stated: “The first, fourth and fifth incidents relate to low adequate disinfection levels at the discharge of the chlorine tank. Upon recognition, disinfection was restored with the subsequent results showing safe water quality.”
The report also outlines the annual average daily flow of water through the facility, as well as monthly average daily flows and maximum daily flow.
The most water was used, 5,298 cubic metres, on July 8, 2006; the least amount of water was used in January 2006; the daily average was 2,730 cubic metres.

In 2006, the plant operated at 53 per cent capacity.

The report stated: “This indicates that there is considerable room for additional growth within the Parry Sound system prior to the need for system capacity expansion.”

“It makes me feel good to see the quality of staff and the precautions they take,” said councillor Millie Graham. “Town taxpayers should feel very, very safe when they take water out of their tap.’

Comments
Wednesday, Apr 11th, 2007 @ 6:24pm
fluoride not dangerous
from Mary Sparrowdancer
The person who said that "a shift in fluoride is not a threat to public safety," needs to be relieved of their duties. Not only is it a threat, but poorly controled fluoride levels have resulted in deaths and major illnesses. Fluoride is a HAZMAT that should not be added to our drinking water, and certainly not placed in our drinking water by untrained or ill-informed clowns who consider it to be harmless.

USA - Lebanon still waiting for results of fluoridation

Dentists say benefits will take a generation to show up
By Patrick Lair
Albany Democrat-Herald
LEBANON — Less than six years after Lebanon began fluoridating its drinking water, dentists say it’s too early to see results. But they want to keep the project going.
Lebanon started adding fluoride to its water in the fall of 2001 in line with a City Council decision in January 2000.
The benefits of fluoridation would be hard to measure in the population of my practice after just this amount of time, said Dennis Clark, who’s practiced dentistry in Lebanon for 25 years. “The beneficial effects will be most observable in a generation.”
The question arises because of House Bill 3099, now pending in the Oregon House Committee on Health Care, which would require Oregon cities of 10,000 or more to fluoridate their drinking water.
Albany, Lebanon, Sweet Home and Corvallis all fluoridate, with Lebanon doing so most recently. Clark said the mechanism of protection is most effective when the fluoride is incorporated into the enamel as the teeth form, in the first months of a person’s life.
“For instance, in cities like San Francisco or St. Louis, where fluoridation has been done for many generations now, I’m told they rarely see badly decayed teeth,” he said.
Lebanon dentist John Shader agreed.“Maybe at 20 years you’ll see results. But I don’t think you can dispute the benefits,” he said.
One of the main benefits is prevention of tooth decay, especially among people who can’t afford dental care, said Corvallis dentist Janet Peterson.
“We see more tooth decay in low-income families, due to a variety of factors,” she said. “Most middle class people don’t see the problem, but it’s rampant.”
Peterson, a past president of the Oregon Dental Association, also said she can frequently see a difference between her Corvallis patients and clients from Newport, a non-fluoridating city, or those who grew up on well water.
Fluoridation has been disputed for a variety of reasons.
Some claim it increases the risk of cancer or degrades the environment.
Brownsville, a city of roughly 1,500, has always rejected fluoridation because of the cost.“For a city this size, it’s expensive,” City Planner Bill Sattler said. “It’s also incredibly hazardous and poisonous to work with.”
Lebanon Environmental Operations Manager Darrel McLaughlin said he’s not aware of any problems in Lebanon caused by the fluoride.
Liquid fluoride is shipped in several times per year and pumped directly into the drinking water at the water treatment plant, he said.
“It’s a fairly easy process at a minimal cost compared to the city’s water treatment operation,” he said.
While many dentists strongly support fluoridation, they concede it’s not going to eliminate tooth decay.
“In my practice, the most destructive thing people are doing to their teeth continues to be drinking soda pop, frequently and over prolonged periods, regular or sugar free,” Clark said.
Patrick Lair can be reached at patrick.lair@lee.net or 258-6441.

After this time surely if it was as good as they say the youngsters would show huge benefits by now.