The Thunder Bay District Health Unit has started an awareness campaign on the issue of fluoride in Thunder Bay’s water supply. The campaign has consisted of media campaign featuring ads in the traditional media, postcards, and a website to promote the effort.

The TBDHU states, “Our 2007 Thunder Bay District Health Unit survey showed that most people in our city support community water fluoridation. We also learned that some are against it and others are not sure. Through this web site, we will provide the facts so that the people who aren’t sure will be able to make up their minds about this important health issue”.

The addition of fluoride into the city’s drinking water is an issue is one that has been, in the past, voted down repeatedly by the people of Thunder Bay.

In today’s ever health conscious society, the addition of chemicals to our diet is a concern to many. Having the opportunity for full scale discussions on the issue that allows our residents to make an informed decision is a worthwhile exercise.

The TBDHU has, on the website ThunderBayFluoride.ca includes a discussion forum where people can offer both sides. There are, so far 150 active members on the discussion forum.

Those opposed to the inclusion of fluoride in our water supply do not have access to the same budget that the TBDHU has in getting the word out. There is a Facebook Group titled Concerned Citizens of Thunder Bay Against Water Fluoridation.

On Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 at 7:00PM in Lecture Theatre Rm.351 at Confederation College there will be a public meeting offering information for the public. That meeting is presented by those opposed to water fluoridation.

NetNewsledger.com in an effort to assist the issue being raised in the community has extended the opportunity to both sides of the issue to provide their information to our readers. Both sides are welcome to present their information.

Brenda Pressenger who is opposed to the addition of fluoride in our drinking water supplied NetNewsledger.com with this commentary:

We are aware that dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants are hardworking, dedicated professionals. They are busy in their careers and may not have had the time to keep up with the latest research and studies or the reading of Dental Journals, which indicate that water fluoridation does not work and that it is not safe. They may not have known, as many others that I have talked to, that water fluoridation is a toxic industrial waste that contains heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury, not the pharmaceutical grade fluoride that they use in their offices for teeth protection. As well, they may not have known that at least 50% of all ingested fluoride remains in the tissues of the body including the skeletal system and accumulates over time.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the on going IOWA Fluoride Study (started in 1992 which follows a group of children from birth, reported in the fall of 2008 Journal of Public Health Dentistry), both stated that the application of pharmaceutical grade high concentration fluoride (NAF) directly on the tooth surface is effective in preventing cavities.

Swallowing the low concentration, industrial grade fluoride(HFSA) in drinking water does not prevent cavities. There is no need, therefore, to expose all other tissues to fluoride by swallowing it. This information was first presented as the cover story in the prestigious Journal of the American Dental Association in July 2000.

There are also Canadian studies that demonstrate that water fluoridation doesn’t work.

One such study is the Statistical Analysis of Survey Data 2007 by Dick (Ito)DDS, MSc-President of the Ontario Association of Public Health Dentistry, which demonstrated no benefit from water fluoridation: “We found virtually no difference in caries (cavities) prevalence or severity between 7 year old children from schools in non-fluoridated Caledon and schools matched on socio-economic factors, in fluoridated Brampton, Ontario.”

Another study was by A. Azarpazhooh and Dr. Hazel Stewart on the Consequences of the Cessation of Water Fluoridation in Toronto. Dr. Hazel Stewart DDS,MP,-Chief Dental Officer for Toronto, found that North American communities that discontinued fluoridation did not experience an increase of dental caries and that these communities actually experienced a reduction in the incidence of dental caries in both absolute terms and relative to communities that continued to fluoridate their drinking water.

These recent and very relevant research and studies state that artificial water fluoridation does not work, therefore, water fluoridation does not provide a health benefit.

Actually, it causes dental harm. I wonder why the dentists or the Thunder Bay District Health Unit have not mentioned dental fluorosis in any of their articles. I guess, perhaps, that they have had very little experience with dental fluorosis since we do not use water fluoridation as opposed to the dentists in fluoridated cities.

48% of the children in Oakville. Ontario, a city that has water fluoridation, have dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis occurs when a child ingests too much fluoride during early childhood years causing damage to the tooth-forming cells leading to a permanent defect in the enamel.

Teeth with fluorosis have visible discolourization from white spots to brown and black stains and in the more severe cases there is extensive pitting, chipping, fracturing and decay of teeth…all signs of overdosing on fluoride. Along with this, it is well proven that other tissues of the body also will be affected.

There are NO toxilogical safety studies to date that demonstrates that the addition of the industrial grade fluoride, Hydrofluorosilicic Acid, even worse with its added cocktail of arsenic, lead, mercury and more, is safe. It is NOT SAFE for those who are allergic to fluoride, not safe for those who have kidney disease, not safe for those that consume large amounts of fluoridated water-diabetics, athletes, lactating mothers,etc., not safe for children, in fact, not safe for anyone. Municipal drinking water should be safe for everyone.

Not all dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants in Thunder Bay endorse water fluoridation. Water fluoridation is opposed by a growing number of dentists, doctors and researchers, such as, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). CAPE, after an extended exploration of the peer-reviewed literature on the subject, over a number of years, does not support fluoridation of drinking water “on the basis of “the weight of evidence”, we believe that fluoridation of drinking water is scientifically untenable, and should not be a part of a public health initiative or program’. The Thunder Bay Medical Society, when requested to support water fluoridation, chose not to. As well, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Professionals and 26 other organizations across Canada oppose water fluoridation. The president of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment, Dr. Vyvyan Howard, PhD,M.D., traveled to Canada in 2008 to present 23 research papers demonstrating neurotoxic effects of fluoridated water and urged policy makers to discontinue this practice.

The Dental Healthcare Providers have been misinformed, and misled, and need to take a more in depth look at the industrial waste product itself, its potential harm and the harm it has caused in the past. A good place to start researching is www.fluoridealert.org and to Google WHMS-Fluorosilicics.