Fluoride Action Network

Medical and dental professionals urge Potsdam to continue fluoridating water; vote could be Monday

Source: North Country Now | September 16th, 2018 | By Craig Freilich
Location: United States, New York

POTSDAM — The village Board of Trustees has heard impassioned arguments and orchestrated presentations from both sides in the fluoridation debate leading up to a vote on it Sept. 17.

They have heard from dozens of citizens, both locals and people from afar. Dueling professionals, a dentist from Florida who leads a group in favor of fluoridation and a former chemist from St. Lawrence University whose life now revolves around opposition, have spoken in Potsdam in the last several weeks.

The effort organized by local medical and dental professionals to persuade board members to continue has been impressive.

Their first salvo came on July 26 when internal medicine and primary care physician Dr. Andrew Williams, in his capacity as president of the St. Lawrence County Board of Health and with the endorsement of the county Public Health Department, wrote that the Board of Health “strongly urges the Village of Potsdam to continue fluoridation of water in the village. He calls fluoridation “a well-established, safe measure to improve the oral health and general health of children and adults in the community” that would continue to be of benefit.

At the next village board meeting Aug. 20, dozens of people in blue t-shirts saying “I (Heart) Fluoride” arrived in a well-organized effort to show their approval of fluoridation. Many of them of them were local medical and dental practitioners who wanted to testify to their interpretations of data and share their own observations. They were doctors, dentists, oral surgeons and other medical professionals who spoke about the proven worth of fluoridation and the detrimental effects of abandoning such programs.

If trustees take into consideration the apparent strength of feeling, on both sides, about the issue in the community, they will be hard pressed to decide.

If the numbers of people expressing opinions on each side at the recent board meetings are the measure of that sentiment, the edge goes to those in favor of water fluoridation.

*Original article online at http://www.northcountrynow.com/news/medical-and-dental-professionals-urge-potsdam-continue-fluoridating-water-0242948

See past articles on the Potsdam fluoridation issue:

Oct 1, 2018 ADA News ‘I love fluoride’ campaign proves effective in New York
Sept 26, 2018 North Country Now Opinion: More Medicaid coverage is better than fluoride, says Potsdam resident
By Jessie LaRose, Potsdam
Sept 18, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Village of Potsdam to continue fluoridating the water
Sept 18, 2018 North Country Now Village of Potsdam approves controversial fluoridation of municipal water by 4-1 vote
Sept 18, 2018 North Country Now Opinion: Colton man makes five point plan to ‘Keep Potsdam Smiling’
By By Jerry Bartlett, Colton
Sept 16, 2018 North Country Now Medical and dental professionals urge Potsdam to continue fluoridating water; vote could be Monday
Sept 11, 2018 North Country Now Opinion: Fluoride won’t fix oral health problem, says Potsdam resident
By Susan E. Powers, Potsdam
Sept 11, 2018 North Country Now Opinion: Potsdam woman wonders if we should medicate public via water supply
By Paula Youmell, Potsdam
Sept 8, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam residents voice opinions on water fluoridation as the village plans to vote on matter on Sept. 17
Sept 5, 2018 North Country Now Fluoridation meeting draws crowd in Potsdam, residents suggest alternative dental health programs
Sept 5, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam residents voice opinions on water fluoridation as the village plans to vote on matter on Sept. 17
Aug 23, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam Village board hears professional and public comments on fluoridating the water
Aug 21, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Letter: Potsdam needs to consider facts on fluoride
By Dean Laubscher
Aug 21, 2018 North Country Now Potsdam meeting draws out those in support of fluoridation
Aug 11, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Letter: Potsdam: Fluoridated water has proven health benefits
By Stephen A. Jennings, Jefferson County Public Health Service
Aug 9, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Editorial: Chew on this: Potsdam should continue adding fluoride to its water supply
Aug 5, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam gets engineering report on fluoride
Aug 5, 2018 North Country Now Potsdam village board will vote on fluoridation before end of September
July 29, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam forum focuses on choice about fluoridation
July 19, 2018 North Country Now Fluoridated water opponent to speak at Potsdam town meeting July 26
June 3, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam water quality flagged with violations, then rectified; fluoride decision awaits research
June 2, 2018 North Country Now Most Potsdam village respondents say services worth the cost
April 20, 2018 North Country Now Potsdam will study fluoridation system with help from grant funding
March 8, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam Village Trustees discuss fluoridation
Jan 30, 2018 Watertown Daily Times Letter: Look into effects fluoridation has on body
By Dean Laubscher
Dec 6, 2017 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam receives legal advice on water source, fluoridation
Oct 3, 2017 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam holds public hearing on fluoridation
Sept 24, 2017 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam: Local dentists express support for water fluoridation
Sept 11, 2017 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam: Village trustee meeting brings comments on fluoride
Aug 27, 2017 Watertown Daily Times Potsdam trustees consider whether to end fluoridation
Aug 10, 2017 North Country Now Letter: Fluoride expert willing to help Potsdam with issue
By Paul Connett
July 30, 2018 North Country Now Potsdam village might stop fluoridating water, might not; study sought