Opinion, Rangely

OPINION: Fluoridated water IS about healthy children and teeth!

RBC I In April you will be asked to vote to continue one of the most successful disease-fighting programs this country has ever experienced. Please VOTE YES on Exhibit A. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral in soil, it is truly “organic.” The Rangely water treatment plant has updated equipment (installed in the recent remodeling project) to safely add the small amount of fluoride to our water supply necessary to battle the number one most prevalent childhood disease ages 6-19 years old. The Town of Rangely’s water plant currently houses a 30-year supply of fluoride. Therefore, taxpayers will experience no further cost/expense to have this safe mineral added to our water, allowing our most precious commodity, our children, to have a fighting chance to combat dental disease.
As far as the other unsubstantiated “claims,” fear tactics, and other misleading information out in the cyber world, include words like, “may, possibly, perhaps, maybe, or it is believed to…” to state their opinions as facts. The only scientifically evidenced-based studies that show adverse effects of fluoride are when the mineral is at harmful levels well above the regulated .7ppm. Any element, nutrient, or other naturally occurring substance will cause health issues when ingested at toxic levels. Even inhaling pure oxygen is deadly.
The American Dental Association says water fluoridation is a benefit here are few of their facts:
• From 2000 to 2004, 125 communities in 36 states of the U.S. voted to adopt fluoridation.
• In the right amounts, fluoride helps prevent dental decay.
• It is similar to adding vitamins to foods.
• Using fluoride in water to protect teeth reduces the need for costly dental procedures.
• Over 100 national and international health and other organizations recognize the benefits of added fluoride.
I encourage you to go to any of the legitimate organizations listed below to seek out accurate, evidence-based information on the benefits of water fluoridation.
AAFP=American Academy of Family Physicians (https://www.aafp.org/home.html)
AAP= American Academy of Periodontology (https://www.perio.org/)
AADR=American Association for Dental Research (https://www.iadr.org/AADR)
ADA=American Dental Association (https://www.ada.org/)
ADHA=American Dental Hygiene Association (https://www.adha.org/)
CDC=Center for Disease Control (https://www.cdc.gov/)
NAM=National Academy of Medicine (https://nam.edu/)
WHO=World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/)
U.S. Surgeon General (https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/index.html)
American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org/)
American Dietetic Association (https://www.diet.com/g/american-dietetic-association)
American Academy of Pedodontics (https://www.aapd.org/)
US Public Health Services (https://usphs.gov/)
American Public Health Association (https://www.apha.org/)
American Medical Association (https://www.ama-assn.org/)
American Academy of Pediatrics (https://www.aap.org/)
Below are just a few quick links to professional and governmental websites that have accurate information (NOTE: Wikipedia is not regulated or supervised for accuracy, so not one of my references.)
https://www.cdc.gov/grand-rounds/pp/2013/20131217-water-fluoridation.html
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/community-water-fluoridation
https://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/advocating-for-the-public/fluoride-and-fluoridation

Be an educated voter and support our children’s health.

By JOYCE KEY | RDH, BA-edRangely

4 Comments

  1. Some Mistakes:

    1) Fluoride is not like adding vitamins to food because fluoride is not a nutrient or essential to build decay-free teeth, meaning that consuing a fluoride-free diet will not cause any disease including tooth decay.

    2) Fluoride chemicals added to public water supplies are not naturally occurring. Natural fluoride is generally calcium fluoride which is much less toxic than sodium fluoride or hydrofluosilicic acid, common water fluoride additives which are collected from the smokestacks of phosphate fertilizer factories, trucked as hazardous waste and injected unpurified into public water supplies often by employees wearing hazmats suits. Also, calcium is the antidote for fluoride poisoning.

    3) it’s not true that no studies show adverse health effects from low levels.

    4) There is no doubt that fluoride damages babies’ developing brains concludes a prominent Harvard Brain researcher
    https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/prominent-harvard-researcher-certain-fluoride-is-unsafe-for-childrens-developing-brains-nyscof-301014431.html

  2. Scott L. Tomar, DMD, DrPH

    Community water fluoridation benefits adults as well as children. Here are a few peer-reviewed review papers in highly respected scientific journals that reached that conclusion:
    http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/101379/
    https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/154405910708600504?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

    We’ve all seen the misinformation from NYSCOF and James Reeves for many years, which generally follows the typical pattern of fear mongering, trafficking in conspiracy theories, misinterpretation of science, ignoring of conclusions by reputable scientists and scientific organizations, and disease-of-the-month club claims about community water fluoridation.

  3. Here are reports by five dentists on the dangers of fluoride. There are many more just like them.

    “The evidence that fluoride is more harmful than beneficial is now overwhelming… fluoride may be destroying our bones, our teeth, and our overall health.” – Dr. Hardy Limeback BSc, PhD, DDS, former President of Canadian Association of Dental Research, former head of Preventative Dentistry at the Univ of Toronto, 2006 National Research Council panelist (2007)

    “If teeth are the only reason why you like fluoride, you better come up with a different reason. Fluoride hurts teeth, bones, brain, nerves, etc.” – Michael Taras, DMD, FAGD (2015)
    “When I looked at the research, it was like a knee in the gut. My bias was I thought (fluoridation) was safe and effective because I had not looked at the research.” – Dr. Bill Osmunson, DDS, MPH (2016)

    “Fluorides make the germs in the mouth sick, and they’ll make the kid sick, too.” – Dr. David Kennedy DDS MPH, 3rd generation dentist and past president of IAOMT (2016)

    “Ffluoride a known toxin that most people don’t truly need…especially when its ingested via the water supply,” and concludes that with safer alternatives (like toothpaste) available, it’s just not worth the risk.”
    “I don’t think you don’t need fluoride.”
    Dr. Mark Burhenne, DDS of Sunnyvale, California

  4. The important question everyone who does not have the training and experience to personally locate and evaluate decades of research on complex science-based health issues like fluoridation or vaccination should ask is: Who should be trusted to provide an accurate interpretation of that evidence? There are really only two options:
    1) Accept the conclusions of virtually all science and health organizations in the world that water fluoridation is a safe and effective public health measure for reducing the risk of dental decay and other health problems. Read the references provided in this Guest Post and by Dr. Tomar, Search on Science Organizations that support fluoridation (or health organizations that support fluoridation)

    2) The alternative is to blindly accept the anti-fluoridation opinions that are only believed valid by a handful of alternative “health” organizations like the IAOMT, some activist groups like FAN, nyscof, the CHD (with an anti-vax agenda) and some conspiracy theory fanatics like Alex Jones [INFOWARS], David Icke [Son of the Godhead] and Mike Adams [Natural News]. Extremely strong opinions and vocal arguments can’t hide the lack of legitimate scientific support for the anti-F opinions. Search on science (or health) organizations that oppose fluoridation – and you won’t find any.

    Since anti-science activists have no legitimate scientific evidence to prove their opinions, they employ several tactics to disingenuously manipulate public opinion – these include, Gish Gallop, Fear Mongering and Argumentum ad nauseam.
    https://cyber-nook.com/water/fluoridationInformation-GishGallop.html

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