For 13 years, the Town of Wayland has been adding fluoride to the town’s water, but times could be changing.

According to a press release, Community Water Fluoridation has been recommended by the Division of Oral Health at the Centers for Disease Control as a safe way to prevent tooth decay.

Though the CDC’s recommendation remains unchanged, scientific literature throughout the past few years has “called into question the safety of excessive fluoride exposure in children.”

“Given the weight of this new scientific evidence, and the widespread availability of alternative topical fluoride sources (toothpaste, mouth rinses), the Wayland Board of Health is considering suspending the Community Water Fluoridation program,” according to the press release.

On July 8 at 7 p.m., the Board of Health will hold a public hearing at Wayland Town Building to hear resident comments regarding the Community Water Fluoridation program.

Residents who cannot attend the hearing but wish to make a comment are invited to send a letter to the Board of Health or email your comments for the Board to Public Health Director Julia Junghanns at jjunghanns@wayland.ma.us.

Additional information about the Community Water Fluoridation program will be posted on the Health Department website soon in preparation for the hearing.

In the meantime, we want to know:

How do you feel about fluoride in Wayland’s water?
Does it concern you?
Are you glad it’s there as an added step to “prevent tooth decay”?
Did you even know there is fluoride added to Wayland’s water?

Tell us in the comments.