A chemical recommended by dentists and found in toothpaste to treat teeth is once again a hot topic on the Mount Pleasant city ballot for next month’s election.

The city will have a proposal on the Nov. 8 ballot asking residents whether or not to put sodium fluoride back in the water supply. There is strong opposition to this proposal, especially after the chemical was removed from the water supply late last year.

Local resident Gladys Mitchell has attended several city council meetings to speak out against fluoride and did so again Monday night.

“I just think that if people want more fluoride, then they should just go to the dentist and get a prescription for it,” she said. “The city shouldn’t be forcing this drug on us in our water supply.”

Other local residents are insisting the fluoride be kept in the water. Some supporters attended the city commission meeting and said it would cost less than 50 cents per person per year to fluoridate the water.

Some residents say the plan is cheaper than buying water with fluoride already in it or going to the doctor or the dentist to buy the drug.

Natural fluoride in the city water supply is at .4 percent and the addition of sodium fluoride could potentially put the level of fluoride at a toxic number to adults.

City Commissioner Jim Moreno signed the petition of Proposal Two on the ballot. He said people consume fluoride every day when they drink pop and use toothpaste.

“I agree with the citizens against it,” Moreno said. “I think that by adding this fluoride to the water, they are basically forcing us to take a drug that people can go get from a doctor or dentist to take if they want.”

He also said there is no proven research from other countries that show the significant amount of prevention of tooth decay between countries that have it and do not have it.

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