WATERLOO — Regional council voted 10-3 Wednesday to confirm that it will stop adding fluoride to Waterloo drinking water on Nov. 29.

A trio of dentists who lost the recent fluoride referendum pleaded again with council to ignore the non-binding results, in which 50.3 per cent of voters said No to a 43-year practice meant to help prevent cavities. Dentists accused council of abdicating its public health role and allowing a vocal minority to direct health policy.

Politicians stressed again that they promised before the referendum to respect the majority vote.

“Democracy is messy at times,” Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr said.

Elmira and St. Jacobs will also lose fluoride, which has never been added to tap water in Kitchener or Cambridge.

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See also: Dentists can’t stop fluoride decision, November 17, 2010