Canada - Gatineau braces for new fluoridation debate
Gatineau braces for new fluoridation debate
By Tony Spears, The Ottawa Citizen
April 1, 2010 3:05 AM
Higher cavity rates in Gatineau show the city should be fluoridating its water supply, the Outaouais' public health department said in a report released Wednesday.
"Our population is much more affected by cavities than those of Ontario and the United States," the report said, adding that about 70 per cent of people in Ontario and the United States had access to fluoridated water.
Outaouais health statistics show that tooth decay in children is 40 per cent higher in Gatineau than it is in Ottawa, which has fluoridated its water since 1964.
The report says more than one-half of Outaouais children aged seven and eight suffer from cavities. Among 13- and 14-year-olds, that number jumps to 70 per cent.
The report notes that fluoride occurs naturally in water, but says those levels are often not high enough to maintain good dental health.
The concentration of fluoride in Gatineau drinking water is just 0.03 mg/L, the report says.
Fluoride levels in Ottawa are maintained at 0.75 mg/L, according to information on the city's website.
Gatineau has been considering fluoridation since 2007, after the Outaouais regional government rejected it in 1987.
A citizens' group convinced people fluoride could cause health and environmental problems.
Despite a provincial offer to pay for the cost, Hull-Val-Tétreau Councillor Denise Laferrière said in February that Quebecers remained "cautious" about fluoridation.
"People feel they don't need to drink fluoride to protect their teeth because they can use toothpaste," said Laferrière, who is president of the city's Ville en santé advisory commission. "They reject fluoride as one more chemical going into the river."
Gatineau city council is to discuss fluoridation privately in May before deciding if it should be discussed publicly, Laferrière said
By Tony Spears, The Ottawa Citizen
April 1, 2010 3:05 AM
Higher cavity rates in Gatineau show the city should be fluoridating its water supply, the Outaouais' public health department said in a report released Wednesday.
"Our population is much more affected by cavities than those of Ontario and the United States," the report said, adding that about 70 per cent of people in Ontario and the United States had access to fluoridated water.
Outaouais health statistics show that tooth decay in children is 40 per cent higher in Gatineau than it is in Ottawa, which has fluoridated its water since 1964.
The report says more than one-half of Outaouais children aged seven and eight suffer from cavities. Among 13- and 14-year-olds, that number jumps to 70 per cent.
The report notes that fluoride occurs naturally in water, but says those levels are often not high enough to maintain good dental health.
The concentration of fluoride in Gatineau drinking water is just 0.03 mg/L, the report says.
Fluoride levels in Ottawa are maintained at 0.75 mg/L, according to information on the city's website.
Gatineau has been considering fluoridation since 2007, after the Outaouais regional government rejected it in 1987.
A citizens' group convinced people fluoride could cause health and environmental problems.
Despite a provincial offer to pay for the cost, Hull-Val-Tétreau Councillor Denise Laferrière said in February that Quebecers remained "cautious" about fluoridation.
"People feel they don't need to drink fluoride to protect their teeth because they can use toothpaste," said Laferrière, who is president of the city's Ville en santé advisory commission. "They reject fluoride as one more chemical going into the river."
Gatineau city council is to discuss fluoridation privately in May before deciding if it should be discussed publicly, Laferrière said
posted by Bill at
9:55 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home