FLORIDA — Florida’s Surgeon General’s recommendation for cities and counties to stop adding fluoride to public drinking water is generating pushback from dental experts.
Echoing concerns raised by President-Elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the US Department of Health and Human Services, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo urged municipalities to stop adding fluoride to drinking water in a Friday press conference.
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He cited studies showing fluoride can potentially lower the IQ of children, increase rates of disorders like ADHD, and potentially harm pregnant mothers.
“It is public health malpractice with the information that we have now to continue adding fluoride to water systems in Florida,” said Ladapo.
But Florida Dental Association President Dr. Jeff Ottley argued the findings of those studies are being misrepresented.
“All the research that they discussed at the press conference was at levels two to two and a half times the recommended level,” said Ottley.
So, how did adding fluoride to public water systems become popularized?
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It started in the early 1900s when a Colorado town was found to have an abnormally low rate of tooth decay.
It was discovered the town’s water supply had a high level of naturally occurring fluoride.
From there, Grand Rapids Michigan was the first to add fluoride to its drinking water in 1945.
After 11 years, rates of tooth decay among children born after fluoride was introduced to the water supply had dropped by 60 percent.
The practice soon spread throughout the country.
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Ottley said about 75% of Floridians currently have fluoridated drinking water, reducing childhood tooth decay by an estimated 25% statewide.
He argued that saves the state countless dollars through preventative care and municipalities would be wise to ignore the Surgeon General’s advice on this one.
“So, we get rid of probably the best tool in our toolkit by removing fluoride from the water, the dentists are gonna be very busy,” said Ottley.
Click here for a list of public water systems actively fluoridating.
Many local systems have natural fluoridation. Click here to learn more.
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