Opinion: Fluoridation is a public health necessity

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in both children and adults. Yet the Naples City Council is considering discontinuing an effective and safe strategy for protecting the dental health of our residents.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral in lakes, rivers and the ocean. The levels in water are typically too low to prevent tooth decay, so that’s why Naples adds fluoride to its water systems to reach 0.7 mg/L, which is proven to reduce the risk of decay and is recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service. Research shows that fluoridated water reduces decay by 25% for adults and children.

Fluoridation is endorsed by leading health and scientific organizations worldwide, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Florida Dental Association, American Dental Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Even the U.S. Department of Defense supports fluoridation because defense officials report that it benefits military readiness when enlisted personnel have healthier teeth.

Recent studies have been published relying on a flawed method of evaluating fluoride. While the authors of these studies claim reduced IQ in children of mothers who drank fluoridated water, these studies have been widely criticized. Most of them were published in health journals that do not have a high reputation for quality research. Opponents of fluoridation have latched onto these studies to claim IQ effects are associated with fluoridated water; they are wrong.

On the other hand, recent, high-quality studies from Australia, New Zealand and Spain have shown no associations between fluoridated water consumed during pregnancy and any IQ changes. The American Academy of Pediatrics has evaluated these studies, and thousands of others, and they continue to support fluoridation as effective in reducing decay with no adverse health effects.

There are no substitutes for water fluoridation. Nothing can replace its widespread benefits. Some claim that they don’t want it for a variety of reasons. It is unethical to deny our residents access to fluoridated water because of the few who don’t want it. Those who oppose fluoridation can purchase an NSF International Certified reverse osmosis unit that will remove almost 97% of fluoride.

Water fluoridation benefits everyone in the community by delivering the right amount of fluoride. It doesn’t take a single change in people’s daily routine to reap the benefits of this decay-fighting mineral. Fluoridation is effective and saves an average of $32 per person annually by preventing cavities.

For those who cannot afford dental visits, fluoridation is the only preventive dental care they may ever receive. Toothpaste with fluoride and water fluoridation are both needed to give us maximum decay reductions. One does not replace the other. The benefits of both are additive and complementary.

Since 1957, water fluoridation has benefitted the oral health of everyone in Naples, regardless of age, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity or level of education. We should not turn our backs on a proven method of improving oral health. Instead, we should continue investing in the well-being of our entire community by keeping our water fluoridated.

The mouth is the front door of the body. If the mouth is unhealthy, the rest of the body suffers. I urge the Naples City Council to continue water fluoridation to keep our community healthy.

Visit floridafluoridation.org to learn more about water fluoridation.

A Naples native, Dr. Alexis Diaczynsky is a general dentist at Fantastic Dental Arts in Naples. She is the most recent past president of the Collier County Dental Association, and a member of the American Dental Association, Florida Dental Association, and West Coast District Dental Association.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Opinion: Fluoridation is a public health necessity