Excerpts:

… The move drew praise from antifluoridation activists, including the U.S.-based Fluoride Action Network. The organization noted that new regulations, beginning August 26, will end fluoridation in Israel for the 5.3 million residents receiving fluoridated tap water, or about 70% of the population. Going forward, the fluoridation of all tap water will be outlawed.

… [Israel’s Health Minister] has dealt with significant criticism on the matter. In a statement, the Israel Dental Association (IDA) said that ending fluoridation will harm the oral health of Israelis. The association in the IDA that represents Arab dentists contended that the decision will disproportionately harm other Arabs, who have higher rates of poor oral health than Jewish Israelis, the Post explained.

Other opponents submitted a letter of protest, among them public and oral health experts. They accused her of basing her decision on ideology and not science. The signatories included a host of dentists, including Jonathan Mann, DMD, the head of community dentistry at the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine and an expert in dental epidemiology.

…German and her director general, Arnon Afek, MD, MHA, a pathologist, suggested that in modern times, patient, parental, and in-school education is a better way to improve oral health than water fluoridation.

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