On August 31st, Suez stopped putting fluoride in the water supplied to residents in Mechanicsburg and Upper Allen Township. It said the decision had nothing to do with cost, and that of all of the municipalities it services in Pennsylvania, these were the last two still containing it.

 “We also wanted to give our customers the opportunity to be able supplement fluoride into their daily routines,” Hess-Moore said. “If and how they wish to do so.”

Members of the dental community cite numerous benefits of fluoride, like Dr. Jeff Alba. Not only is he an orthodontist, but also a resident of Upper Allen Township. He said the process was not transparent.

“It wasn’t until later that I realized that in our paper statement, weeks prior, Suez had sent a small sliver of a paper that stated that they were going to be applying to remove the fluoride,” Dr. Alba said. “But like many other people I pay my bill online and I had no idea it even happened.”

Suez, though, said it was in communication with residents the entire time, including via social media and through a virtual town hall event to get peoples’ feedback.

At this point, many people realize it’s highly unlikely they’ll get Suez to reverse its decision. They said the focus now is on greater education of public health.

“I’m not worried about the people that see the dentist regularly,” Dr. Alba said. “They’re going to be in good hands. It’s the people that don’t have the means or the ability to give their kids supplemental fluoride and take their kids to the dentist. Those are the people who are going to need it the most and they’re the ones who are going to be suffering.”