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
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
posted by Bill at
9:12 AM
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