MADISON, Ala. (WHNT) — Madison Utilities will stop adding fluoride to the City’s water starting Monday.
During a meeting on March 17, the Madison Utilities Board voted unanimously to stop adding additional fluoride as a part of the water treatment process.
In a statement sent to News 19, the board said the decision was made because of concerns for employees’ health and safety, and because of the way using hydrofluorosilicic acid impacted their treatment facilities. Hydrofluorosilicic acid is used to adjust the amounts of fluoride in water. Madison Utilities said using the acid was causing structural degradation to their facilities, leading to ongoing maintenance costs.
The choice has been met with some backlash as community members feel as if the decision to remove it should have been on a ballot for those living in Madison to vote on.
The Madison Utilities Board held a public hearing on the issue in May, but decided to uphold their orginal vote and discontinue adding fluoride to water.
“Probably one of the most common things that’s used in dentistry is sodium fluoride to help our teeth,” Dr. Stephen Mitchell, a dentist and UAB professor of pediatric dentistry, said.
Mitchell said fluoride is a naturally occurring element present in many water sources, discovered by an American dentist in the early 1900s.
“He started noticing patients who had staining on their teeth, but they weren’t getting cavities,” Mitchell said. “He thought, ‘Why? What’s going on?’ It spun into years of looking at this, and they realized that naturally occurring water fluoride was getting into these patients’ teeth and making them stronger.”
Not every water source has high levels of naturally occurring fluoride. In the 1940s and 1950s, cities across the country began adding regulated amounts. Huntsville began adding the element in the 1950s, and Madison has fluoridated their water for 34 years.
Mitchell said children who live in areas without added fluoride in their water experience more tooth decay. He said the phenomenon is observable in Alabama.
Blount County is 18% fluoridated, while Jefferson County is 99% fluoridated. Mitchell said kids in Blount County experience tooth decay at a 23% higher rate than children in the neighboring county.
“Does that matter?” Mitchell asked. “Well, we know that children who have more tooth decay will typically miss more school, and that makes sense. They have to go get their teeth fixed.”
The regulated amount of fluoride added to water supplies in the U.S is 0.7 parts per million, which nationwide research has shown is the best level to prevent tooth decay without negatively impacting other areas of health.
Madison Utilities said natural amounts of fluoride will still be in the water supply.
Original article online at: https://whnt.com/news/madison/madison-utilities-to-stop-adding-fluoride-to-water-starting-monday/