Fluoridating drinking water

[weeniegeniewife]

So, this has been huge in the Portland news the past few weeks:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/us...ter-by-14.html

Thoughts?

[poky]

I agree that it probably *should* happen, but I also agree that it probably should have gone to a public vote, though I don't have any legal basis for that, just a gut feel.

[Pollyanna]

I didn't notice anything about how the city plans to pay for the addition?

[MrsK]

This has been a big controversy in Wichita. The farmers don't want it. Some tea partiers are saying that it is a civil right to drink public water free of additives and the government should stay out of it. (Wonder if they feel this way about the govt keeping contaminates out of the water.) Then others claim that flouride treatments they got at dentist's offices hurt and that there is no science proving that flouride is good for teeth. (!). All I can say is that outside of London, I've seen some of the worst teeth ever here. I have bad teeth by Miami standards but the dentists here tell me that my teeth are so great by comparison. DrK never had a cavity in his life before we lived here a year.

[SuzySunshine]

Is Wichita's water not fluorinated? Has it always been that way? Weird! DH & I both have a lot of family there and they all have very healthy teeth.

[MrsK]

Nope, it's not flurinated. I've been taking the kids for flouride treatments every 6 months since they were 1yo and I don't have them rinse after brushing with a flouride toothpaste. There are people on the news saying that they won't use flouride toothpaste either because flouride is some sort of voodoo. For a city this large, it surprises me.

[Pollyanna]

Some tea partiers are saying that it is a civil right to drink public water free of additives and the government should stay out of it. (Wonder if they feel this way about the govt keeping contaminates out of the water.) r.

And I bet in Portland it's the far left environmentalists that don't want it. . If people go farther enough to either side they eventually meet, heehee.
We get the fluoridated water from Crystal. Not sure about the tap water here because not worth drinking.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

Nope, it's not flurinated. I've been taking the kids for flouride treatments every 6 months since they were 1yo and I don't have them rinse after brushing with a flouride toothpaste. There are people on the news saying that they won't use flouride toothpaste either because flouride is some sort of voodoo. For a city this large, it surprises me.

Interesting - our dentist here says that you're not supposed to do fluoride before 2? Dentist preference or new recs? I just do what I'm told

We didn't have fluoride in our water growing up, and I have had a bunch of cavities. I remember getting teeth sealed when I was younger, too.

[MrsK]

GRU, is your water flourinated? Our dentist is making the recommendation because our water is not.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

GRU, is your water flourinated? Our dentist is making the recommendation because our water is not.

Had to look it up Our water is "adjusted" meaning it comes from an adjusted source or has fluoride added to 1.0ppm. So maybe that's why - they won't do extra fluoride?

Learn something every day!

[JaneDoe]

I support flouride in the water. I think the risks are minimal and the benefits are profound.

I grew up in a suburb of Portland and therefore on the Bull Run water supply (same supply as Portland). It is some of the best water there is. Since the water was not flourinated, my Mom took flouride supplements while she was pregnant with me and then gave it to my sister and I as supplements until we were teenagers. Neither my sister nor I have ever had a cavity. I do have some mild flourosis of my teeth (staining due to too much flouride). But, our dental health is fantastic. I am forever grateful to my Mom for her efforts to give us healthy teeth.

I think the evidence supports the health benefits of flouride in the water. I don't think there is much merit to opponents' claims of health problems that could arise from the levels of flouride the city would add to the water.

[MrsK]

Kids can OD on flouride. Our dentist says to use a tiny bit of flouride toothpaste once/day at bedtime. Otherwise, we just brush with water after meals.

[MrsK]

This is the latest Wichita Eagle article on the flouride debate: http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/11/248...-fluoride.html Apparently, some people think that flouride makes kids stupid too.

And this article was on the front page of the Sunday paper a couple weeks ago: http://www.kansas.com/2012/08/25/246...r-against.html

[weeniegeniewife]

And I bet in Portland it's the far left environmentalists that don't want it. .

Yup. And then when their teeth are rotten they want other people to pay for their care. I've been watching their "arguments" and it's all a bunch of crap.

[MrsK]

Here are some Wichita websites on either side of the issue:

Pro Fluoride
http://www.fluoridefreekansas.com/
http://www.wichitansforpurewater.org/

Anti Fluoride
http://fluoridefreekansas.org/
http://www.wichitapurewater.com/