Editor;

When it comes to community water fluoridation, the science is solid. Water fluoridation results in stronger teeth and supports better overall health.

Many people may have concerns, but there is also a lot of misinformation about fluoride that may needlessly cause worry.

Water fluoridation is a community choice. Nearly 60 years of use in Owen Sound shows that fluoridation is a smart choice for reducing tooth decay. Our drinking water is some of the safest water in the world.

Fluoride is a mineral that exists naturally not just in water but also in soil and plants. Water fluoridation is simply adding a small, additional amount of fluoride to protect teeth from decay.

Suggestions that it is a toxic waste are simply not true. The fluoride comes from phosphate rock; it's removed from the rock and made to dissolve in water. The fluoride that is used meets rigorous standards of quality.

Concerns have been raised about fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is a change in the appearance of the surface of the tooth. It doesn't hurt and it doesn't harm your health. Public Health checks children's teeth entering kindergarten, Grade 2, Grade 4 and in some cases Grade 6 and Grade 8; there is no evidence of fluorosis in local children's teeth.

The Canadian Cancer Society tracks research on things that may cause cancer. They have found no connection between fluoride and cancer. If it caused cancer, they would be the first to raise the alarm.

More than 100 respected health and dental organizations and groups around the world support community water fluoridation. The list includes the Health Canada, the Canadian and all provincial Medical Associations, the Canadian and all provincial Dental Associations, the World Health Organization, the Centres for Disease Control...and many, many more. I hardly think these groups would conspire to deceive.

Worldwide more than 435 million people drink fluoridated water. Many countries that do not fluoridate their water instead add fluoride to their table salt and milk to get the same benefits; 80 million people in Europe use fluoridated salt or milk.

The science is solid. The evidence is clear; fluoride is a proven way to strengthen teeth for people of all ages.
Supporting references on this posting are available. For references, or for more information, contact Drew Ferguson at d.ferguson@publichealthgreybruce.on.ca.

Drew Ferguson
Public Health Unit
Owen Sound