Dental decay rampant in Calgary children since FLUORIDE removed from water, says pediatric dentist

A Calgary councillor says the city has no plans to revisit the drinking water fluoridation issue.

CBC News reported Monday that local dentists and hygienists say they are seeing rampant decay in children’s teeth three years after fluoride stopped being added to Calgary’s water supply.

Coun. Brian Pincott said council is not a public health agency, but the city has done a lot to help low-income people.

“One of the things that we did when we removed fluoride is we took the savings from that program for a year-worth, basically a half a million dollars,… and gave it to a program that works with low-income families around preventative dental care,” he said.

Pincott was out of town the day council voted by a margin of 10-3 to remove fluoride from the city’s drinking water in February 2011.

A study looking into Calgary’s tooth decay rates will be completed in the spring.

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