The following comments need to corrected:
…skeletal and cognitive issues… occur only at “high levels of fluoride.”
Two studies funded by the U.S. Government reported cognitive defects (loss of IQ) in fluoridated communities that add 0.7 ppm fluoride into their drinking water. These studies revealed that in fluoridated communities the fetus and the formula-fed infant (Green 2019 and Till 2020) are the most vulnerable to fluoride’s neurotoxicity.
“Fluoride is not a medication but a mineral that occurs naturally in all water. “
Fluoride purposely added to drinking water is used to treat the teeth of humans, not the water. Thus it is a medication. However, the fluoride added to drinking water is not “natural.” It is an untreated toxic waste product from the phosphate fertilizer industry. Dangerously high naturally-occurring fluoride levels occur in many countries, such as China and India, and millions of people have been crippled by skeletal fluorosis. According to a 2014 article in Scientific American it also occurs in high natural levels in 10 communities in Maine. Arsenic is also a naturally occurring mineral in water and few people would agree that we should swallow it. (EC)
Dear Editor:
We strongly favor continuing the 18-year-old practice of fluoridating the drinking water supplied by the Boothbay Region Water District (BRWD). Presently, there is a movement to put the question of continuing fluoridation before the voters of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport. Should such a vote take place, we encourage residents to learn the facts about fluoridation before casting their votes.
Fluoride is an important nutrient that, at the proper level, prevents cavities by strengthening tooth enamel. Fluoridated water protects the dental health of all age groups, but most particularly of young children whose teeth are developing. Dental decay is one the most common childhood diseases; and by preventing it in childhood, adults can enjoy better dental health throughout their lifetimes.
Fluoride is not a medication but a mineral that occurs naturally in all water. Adding fluoride to public drinking water is analogous to adding nutrients to other everyday products to benefit Americans’ health: iodine in salt, folic acid in bread, and vitamin D in milk.
Community water fluoridation is supported by the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization. The CDC calls drinking water fluoridation one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th century.
In a Dec. 13 letter to the editor, the authors cited certain health problems (for example, skeletal and cognitive issues) supposedly associated with fluoride. They acknowledge, however, that these problems occur only at “high levels of fluoride.” According to a recent letter to the Register by Jon Ziegra, Superintendent of the BRWD, our local water has a safe “level of fluoride . . . as specified by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control.” See https://www.boothbayregister.com/article/fluoridation-it-s-voters/156480. This level provides enough fluoride to prevent tooth decay in children and adults while limiting the risk of dental fluorosis, which the U.S. Public Health Service describes as “faint white spots on the teeth that usually only a dental professional would notice.”
Water fluoridation is a safe, efficient, and cost-effective way to improve dental health, particularly for our region’s children. We urge the community to join us in supporting the retention of our fluoridated water supply.
Dr. John F. Andrews, DMD, Boothbay
Tom Berry, Boothbay
Merritt and Martha Blakeslee, Boothbay Harbor
Dr. Deborah Bronk, PhD, Boothbay
Lee Corbin and Jon Dunsford, Boothbay Harbor
Sarah Foulger and Russell Hoffman, Boothbay Harbor
Sue and Bob Goodrich, Boothbay
Denise and Chip Griffin, Boothbay Harbor
Marty Helman, Boothbay Harbor
Margaret Helming, MD, and F. William Helming, III, Southport
Eric and Sandy Hakanson, Boothbay
Bill and Jan Hamblen, Boothbay Harbor
Judy and Alfred Kildow, Boothbay Harbor
Dr. Deryl Kipp, DDS, Boothbay
Jaime and Tom Knobloch, Boothbay Harbor
Douglas Light, Boothbay Harbor
Mary B. Neal, MD, Boothbay Harbor
Peggy Pinkham, RN, MBA, Boothbay
Betty and Ted Repa, Boothbay Harbor
Marianne Reynolds, Boothbay
Dr. Barclay Shepard, MD, Boothbay Harbor
Dr. Wendy J. Wolf, MD, MPH, Boothbay Harbor
*Original letter online at https://www.boothbayregister.com/article/keep-fluoride-water-supply/156707