Public health victory in Portland: Fluoridation!
Portland, Ore., made a giant stride in public health last week by approving a water fluoridation program for the first time. Decades of research have shown that small amounts of fluoride in drinking water can prevent tooth decay, meaning fluoridation can protect oral health for the whole community.
Portland had been the largest U.S. city not to fluoride its water. It showed, too: Portland reportedly also has some of the worst tooth-decay problems in the nation. “When someone moves to Portland from another state — and that’s most people you meet in this city of transplants — their new dentist takes one look at their excellent teeth and concludes they must have been raised elsewhere, a place that puts fluoride in its drinking water,” wrote the Seattle Times last week. Portland’s new fluoridation program, at $5 million, will be very inexpensive for all the dental problems fluoridation can help prevent.
Voices has joined with the Pew Center on the States and the American Academy of Pediatrics to help promote community water fluoridation. Check out I Like My Teeth, our oral health site, for more about fluoridation and other ways to help protect smiles for kids!
Portal
Comments
September 17, 2012 at 3:45 pm by Emily FirmanCongratulations to those advocates and leaders in Portland who choose to move forward with one of the top 10 public health measures of the 20th century. The residents of the Portland Metropolitan area will be seeing the benefits, young and old, rich and poor, for generations to come.
September 18, 2012 at 12:06 am by FrancesIt is sad to me that the cheapest & most toxic band-aid to address dental issues is touted as “for everyone” when the truth is phosphate mining, which allows for artificial water fluoridation, is terrible for the environment and in the end doesn’t address the real source of dental caries. We can do better than this!
September 18, 2012 at 3:44 pm by nyscofThere is no dispute that too much fluoride damages bones and teeth. Without evidence of need you blindly advocated for adding more fluoride into Portalnders bellies as if this will cure the untreated tooth decay of poor children. A senseless act.
September 19, 2012 at 1:02 am by jwillie6Fluoridation is a Waste of Tax Money
As a Civil Engineer, I know that people drink only 1/2% (one-half percent) of the water they use. The remaining 99 ½ % of the water with this toxic industrial waste fluoride chemical (Hexafluorosilicic acid) is dumped directly into the environment through the sewer system.
For example, for every $1000 of fluoride chemical added to water, $995 would be directly wasted down the drain in toilets, showers, dishwashers, etc., $5 would be consumed in water by the people, and less than $0.50 (fifty cents) would be consumed by children, the target group for this outdated practice.
That would be comparable to buying one gallon of milk, using six-and-one-half drops of it, and pouring the rest of the gallon in the sink.
September 20, 2012 at 10:21 am by CornelioidHuzzah! I’ll be quite a bit more open to long-term employment in Portland now. Thanks for your great work, Voices. It is refreshing to have science-based advocacy amid the widespread misinformation.
September 20, 2012 at 12:04 pm by AnnPrevention is always more cost-effective than treatment. Research shows that fluoridation will reduce the costs of dental fillings and the savings greatly exceeds the cost of water fluoridation in communities of all sizes. Portland residents should celebrate this proven public health measure since it will also save them pain, tooth loss and reduce time lost from work or school due to dental disease.
September 20, 2012 at 3:21 pm by Charles C. Haynie, M.D.The Portland City Council opinions were won by the many medical, dental, public health experts and civil rights advocates who testified that water fluoridation is safe, effective, inexpensive and ethically necessary.
The science and social justices realities simply won the day and Portland’s citizens, especially the children, are the better for it.
September 21, 2012 at 2:34 am by LindaRosaRN*Many thanks* to VAC and Pew for their efforts to get reliable information and compelling arguments for fluoridation to policymakers. Many children will be save much suffering and never need dentures.
December 15, 2012 at 7:09 am by dental conventionThis is a very good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere.
Short but very precise info… Many thanks for sharing this
one. A must read article!
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