NEW YORK, July 26 /PRNewswire/ — While Chicago children suffer with dental pain, limousines delivered dignitaries to a large white tent, ringed with yellow shirted security guards, where dentists and others, on government payrolls, kicked off a four-day 60th birthday party for water fluoridation replete with ice sculptures, free duffle bags, food and specially made fluoridated bottled water, on July 13, 2005, in Chicago’s Millennium Park, hosted by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), reports the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation (NYSCOF).
Attendees came from many states and 7 countries for continuing education credits, to learn political fluoridation strategy and/or for a free trip to Chicago. But first they had to pass through protesters handing out a timely Washington Post article entitled, “Professor at Harvard Is Being Investigated — Fluoride-Cancer Link May Have Been Hidden,” published on July 13, 2005.(1)
NYSCOF joined the Fluoride Action Network’s protest to educate Chicago residents, legislators and fluoridation party-goers that fluoridation is ineffective, harmful and a waste of money.
Chicago, fluoridated since 1956, in Illinois where fluoridation is state- mandated, has a serious dental health problem. Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn said, “Dental disease in Illinois students has reached epidemic proportions,” because few dentists take Medicaid or KidsCare payments. (2) Only one fourth of Chicago dentists accept payment from government funded insurance.
According to the Illinois Public Health Department, 38% of 6 to 8-year- olds and 30% of 15-year-olds live with untreated tooth decay. Despite fluoridation, 33% of 3-year-olds have cavities.(3)
Sadly, on July 14, while the ADA celebrated fluoridation as a cavity remedy for the poor, the ADA also lobbied in Washington against Dental Health Aide Therapists (DHATs) — a viable solution for the dentist-neglected poor.(4)
DHAT’s drill, fill and pull rotted teeth in people and places where dentists won’t go. DHAT’S, with advanced dental hygienist degrees, work successfully in many countries. Studies show their work is as efficient but less costly then dentists’.
“We believe the ADA’s main priority is to protect dentist-members lucrative monopoly,” says lawyer Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President. “And fluoridation campaigns provide organized dentistry political viability to get more perks for dentists from our legislators. Fluoridation does not help the poor.”
Eighty percent of dentists refuse Medicaid patients.(5)
References:
(1) http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/
05206/543465.stm
(2) http://www.oralhealthamerica.org/news/
042004.html
(3) http://www.idph.state.il.us/HealthWellness/
oralhlth/BurdenDocument.pdf
(4) http://www.ada.org/prof/advocacy/test_dhat.asp
(5) http://silk.nih.gov/public/hck1ocv.
@www.surgeon.fullrpt.pdf
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