A Baldwin County utility company has made a decision that could affect thousands of its customers. North Baldwin Utilities in Bay Minette is removing fluoride from its water supply. The utility company cites medical studies that show fluoride can be harmful to infants and elderly.

“It’s not mandated by any state agency that we put fluoride in the water,” says Jason Padgett, general manager of North Baldwin Utilities. “This isn’t a money issue, it’s about the health and safety of our customers. And we’ve had many, many customers ask us to take fluoride out of the water.”

Local dentists are concerned. Doctor David Tillery has been a Bay Minette dentist for more than 30 years. “It’s a travesty,” says Tillery. “Fluoride has great health benefits to children. The American Dental Association has done numerous studies and have never found fluoride to be a health hazard. Fluoride in toothpaste and applications at the dentist office are certainly beneficial, but there’s no substitute for fluoride in the water.”

The fluoride will be completely out of the water supply in a couple of months. After that, dentists recommend regular fluoride treatments to off-set the loss.

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