CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Woodlawn Utility District, which provides water to about 4,000 households in west Montgomery County, is proposing to stop putting fluoride in its water by Jan. 31. The water company officials said fluoride isn’t needed to make water safe, as it is only a measure used to prevent tooth decay.
To address community concerns, Woodlawn Utility District (WUD) will be hosting a public board meeting later this month.
Is too much fluoride possible?
Fluoride occurs naturally in all water. Fluoridation is the process of adding to that amount to aid in tooth cavity prevention.
When asked why the company was considering the change, WUD Operator Paul Clay said, “From all the new medical studies, it seems we’re getting a lot of overfeed in fluoride. We’re getting it in toothpaste, mouthwash, food, you also have raw water having fluoride in it without us adding to it.”
However, Clarksville dentist Dr. Leon Stanislav said it is incredibly unlikely that people are consuming too much fluoride, due to the strict standards and testing done by the EPA and the American National Standards Institute.
In regard to the “new medical studies,” he said, “Of all the studies that tout harmful health effects of fluoridation, you find that they are based on water supplies that exceed the U.S. recommended level of 0.7 parts per million (PPM). Those studies aren’t really talking about optimal levels of fluoride.”
Stanislav added that reputable studies found an increase in tooth decay whenever water fluoridation was discontinued.
According to Stanislav, the highest authorities on fluoridation say it’s still safe at 4 parts per million, and that we’re nowhere near that level. He also said the only negative consequence of fluoridation below 2 PPM is dental fluorosis – the spotting or molting of tooth enamel – which is a cosmetic concern that has no adverse effect on health. Furthermore, it often occurs when young children swallow toothpaste, which has nothing to do with fluoridated water.
Health concerns
When asked about the health impacts of discontinuing fluoridated water, Stanislav said, “I would challenge anyone to demonstrate a reputable source of one single death or bodily injury due to the consumption of optimally fluoridated water. On the other hand, I can tell you, there have been countless deaths and serious illnesses resulting from abscessed teeth. Preventing tooth decay is greatly enhanced by community water fluoridation, and you don’t get an abscesses tooth if you don’t have a cavity.”
He quoted President Ronald Regan’s U.S. surgeon general, Everett Koop, who declared community water fluoridation one of the 10 greatest health achievements of the 20th century. This is because water reaches everybody regardless of age, race or socioeconomic status. It can reach those who can’t afford toothpaste and toothbrushes, who don’t have dental care, or who don’t understand proper oral disease prevention. Stanislav called it the safest, most economical, and effective way to prevent tooth decay.
Stanislav’s positions align closely with those of Commissioner John J. Dreyzehner with the Tennessee Department of Health, who said, “Seventy-two years of intensive scientific research with water fluoridation in the United States and 66 years in Tennessee have proven community water fluoridation is safe and effective.”
Water fluoridation is also endorsed as safe, beneficial and effective by the American Dental Association. “The ADA supports community water fluoridation as the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay,” according to an FAQ on the topic on the ADA website.
Community and financial impacts
Despite the benefits, Woodlawn is the only rural utility in Montgomery County that still provides fluoridated water. According to the CDC, the urban water utilities of Clarksville Gas & Water Department and the Jacobs Fort Campbell Water System have water fluoridation, while the rural utilities of Cunningham, Cumberland Heights (which purchases water from Cunningham), and East Montgomery do not have water fluoridation.
Clay said there was no additional cost to switching systems, and that WUD would save money since they would stop purchasing fluoride; however, there has been no indication that Woodlawn is in financial need.
Dr. Stanislav said discontinuing water fluoridation might save the WUD money, “but it will not save the public any money because approximately $28 for every dollar spent on water fluoridation is saved in dental healthcare costs. So, it’s not really cost-effective.”
Community meeting
WUD said their staff will answer more questions on the proposal at their monthly public board meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 7:30 a.m. at 2172 Woodlawn Road.
Original article online at: https://clarksvillenow.com/local/woodlawn-utility-proposes-discontinuing-water-fluoridation-despite-concern-from-dentists/