LAUREL, Md. — Fluoride levels are returning to normal levels in more than 1 million Maryland homes served by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) after supply chain challenges forced levels to drop five months ago.
According to a WSSC Water release, the utility is immediately restoring the amount of fluoride added to drinking water supplied to its 1.9 million customers in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties to about 0.7 milligrams per liter.
WSSC Water temporarily reduced fluoride levels on April 7 from 0.7 milligrams per liter to 0.4 milligrams per liter at its Potomac and Patuxent water filtration plants because of nationwide supply chain issues linked in part to the war in Iran. One of the major suppliers of hydrofluorosilicic acid, located in Israel, experienced significant operational disruptions, causing WSSC Water to receive smaller shipments of the compound.
That increase can make a big difference for teeth, a dentist said.
“Any little bit can absolutely make a difference, because we’re talking about people who really need it the most: younger populations, older populations that don’t have as much saliva, folks that have systemic disease or don’t have good manual dexterity for brushing,” said Spokesperson at the Academy of General Dentistry Dr. Sheila Samaddar, who is also a dentist in D.C.
“When you have fluoride in your water, perhaps you don’t need to be as diligent with the home care. I’m not saying stop brushing and flossing, but you’ve got a little extra thing in your back pocket,” said Samaddar.
Samaddar said tap water drinkers will likely not see a big difference in flavor, but will see the effects later.
“As far as their clinical outcomes — which means what we see in the dental office — I think it could really have a profound effect,” said Samaddar.
“They may not see it at their first dental appointment back, but over the next few years, they should definitely notice that they’re having improvement in their oral health,” said Samaddar.
Fluoride is not required by federal or state regulations. The drinking water additive is a voluntary public health measure endorsed by leading health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, to help strengthen teeth and prevent cavities. The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics also support the practice.
The U.S. Health Service deemed the 0.7 milligrams per liter as safe for drinking water. Samaddar said that fluoride in the drinking water is safe and a close-to-free way to get the fluoride your body needs.
“A lot of people are concerned, but I think what they’re misunderstanding is that if fluoride is ingested — say you’re taking fluoride tablets or a big chunk of fluoride toothpaste, which most of us don’t do — then it’s dangerous, potentially. But the body is so great at getting rid of toxins,” said Samaddar.
As for the time without the fluoride levels, Samaddar said the greatest impact was for babies that have not been born yet.
“Because their teeth are developing in utero, so their mothers aren’t getting this fluoride… It’s not like they just pop in and all of a sudden we have teeth. Things are going on over months and years,” said Samaddar.
For those who drink filtered or bottled water, Samaddar had this advice:
“People drinking filtered water — often the fluoride actually stays in. It’s the bottled water, unless it’s specifically added to that product, they’re not getting it… If somebody is strictly doing bottled water and it doesn’t have fluoride, then that is a concern.”
WSSC Water said it will continue to monitor fluoride supplies and will notify customers if future shortages require temporary dosage adjustments.
Original article online at: https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/wssc-restores-fluoride-levels-drinking-water-5-month-reduction/65-15d53529-fc73-46d4-aba7-8f5e624f83b5