You figure the water you drink from the tap is safe, and good for your health. But what if you found out that for the past few months, you’ve been drinking water that could decay your teeth?

It happened in Conway last fall, but customers are just now finding out about it. Fluoride was taken out of the water in Conway because of pipe failures, and Conway Corporation has been so busy fixing the problem, they say customers weren’t notified soon enough.

If you want your next check-up to be cavity-free, dentists say fluoride is essential.

“When you eat foods, especially with a lot of acids in them, they de-mineralize your teeth, and the fluoride will re-mineralize them,” Sherry Sanders with Lenderman Dentistry said.

And without it?

“If you don’t have it, your teeth will get softer and softer, and eventually decay,” Sanders said.

Fluoride is found in most tap water, or so you think. Residents recently learned that Conway Corporation had taken the mineral out last fall.

“I was not happy at all. We didn’t have any notification that we didn’t have any,” Lori Holden of Conway said.

Parent Lori Holden says she was most concerned about her 11 year old son.

“He also just had his first filling in his life, so you wonder if it’s related to not having fluoride in the water anymore,” Holden said.

Conway Corporation reports they are sending out apologies to customers and working hard to get fluoride back in the water. They say fluoride is a water additive which promotes strong teeth, but it’s not a required part of the water treatment process.

Dentists say if you’ve eaten a lot of sugar and not taken care of your teeth, it could have an effect, but if you brush with a fluoride toothpaste, drinking water without it, shouldn’t do much damage to your smile.

Conway Corporation is a city-owned utility service, but it’s not operated by the city.

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