YEARS AFTER THEY STOPPED ADDING FLUORIDE TO THEIR WATER SUPPLY, TWO CITIES HAVE SEEN UNEXPECTED CHANGES IN ORAL HEALTH
About 14 years after they made the decision to start the experiment, two cities that chose to stop fluoridating their water have observed startling changes in the condition of their teeth. There is no denying that tooth decay is an issue, as dentist Warren Loeppky has noted that the prevalence of this condition has grown in children. He told Science News, "Seeing a little child in suffering is always sad." "Dental deterioration can be easily avoided. Seeing these young children who are unable to eat makes your heart sink”.
Although fluoride has been shown in numerous studies to be both safe and effective at preventing tooth decay, its addition to water has long been controversial in the US and even internationally. Its most vocal detractors have discussed how fluoride can discolor teeth, and there are still unfounded worries that drinking fluoridated water can cause bone cancer.
Lindsay McLaren, a self-described fluoridation researcher, conducted tests after the Calgary City Council in Canada chose to remove fluoride from the city's water supply in 2011. The findings were rather unexpected.
About seven years after Calgary's fluoridation program stopped, a sizable sample of 2,649 second graders took a quiz, and the researchers discovered that 65 percent of them had dental damage. For instance, the 55 percent in Edmonton was far lower. "The dental health of Calgary children was significantly worse than that of Edmonton children," McLaren stated.
A few years before, local leaders in the Alaskan city of Juneau had taken the same action, with equally troubling effects. Expert Jennifer Meyer and many of her colleagues found the average number of surgeries to treat tooth decay rose in children under six years old after the measure had been implemented.
"When politicians decide to withhold a safe and effective public health intervention like fluoridation, they are imposing a hidden health care tax on everyone in their state or community," Meyer said.
Despite these concerning statistics, there are still calls for fluoride to be eliminated from water, as a 2024 study found that children who drink water with more than 1.5 mg of fluoride per liter had a "moderate confidence" that it will impair their IQ.
Even if Calgary reinstated fluoride water in 2021 following a political decision, Juneau still does not have it. Meyer came to the conclusion that more voters supported the reinstatement of fluoride than supported the mayor. That's a success, then. However, America is about to undergo a period of darkness. Utah was the first state in the US to outlaw fluoridation in March, and the topic is still being discussed by numerous municipal governments nationwide.
