Note from the Fluoride Action Network,
It’s unfortunate that the letter writer does not know about the Mother Offspring studies, the 66 IQ studies, and the hundreds of other published fluoride studies. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) as well as the public health departments of every state have been negligent in educating the public on this serious issue. (EC)
It was gratifying to read that the Spokane City Council was willing to make a determination concerning adding fluoride to the water supply, rather than wait for further studies, considering we have had positive empirical evidence for more than 75 years. The CDC states “community water fluoridation (is) one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.” Furthermore, “water fluoridation also is effective in preventing dental cavities among adults. Fluoridation reduces enamel cavities in adults by 20%40% and prevents cavities on the root surfaces of teeth.”
Approximately 70% of all U.S. cities with populations of greater than 100,000 use fluoridated water. Why not Spokane?
The costs for preventive care alone outweigh the expenditure: “Water fluoridation costs average 31 cents per person per year in U.S. communities of greater than 50,000 persons.” Compared with other methods of cavity prevention, water fluoridation is the most cost-effective for the United States in terms of price per saved tooth surface.
The practice is safe and widely implemented. Since 1950, opponents of water fluoridation have claimed it increased the risk for cancer, Down syndrome, heart disease, osteoporosis and bone fracture, Alzheimer’s disease, allergic reactions and other health conditions. The safety and effectiveness of water fluoridation have been reevaluated frequently, and no credible evidence supports an association between fluoridation and any of these conditions.
When you go to the dentist, and rinse and spit at the end, that is fluoride. Why not get it everyday?
Gerald Wilson
Spokane