Date: October 31st, 2016
Subject: Whether or not the city should continue to fluoridate its water.
Dear Governor,
My team and I have conducted our own research on whether or not the city should continue to fluoridate it's water supply. My team and I have found convincing data on how fluoridating water is good for the human body. First of all, let’s define what water fluoridation is. This is best defined as the process of adding fluoride to the water supply so the level reaches approximately 0.7 ppm, or 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water. The water is fluoridated when the public water system is adjusted to a level that helps to prevent tooth decay and other dental problems. About 95% of fluoride is added to public …show more content…
They argue that it’s not ethical to dose the entire population with fluoride in order to reach a small subset of the population and that even underprivileged citizens should have the right to opt-out and not be treated without consent. Yet in 1991, the US Public Health Service issued a report on the benefits and risks of fluoride. When looking at a possible tie-in with cancer, they first reviewed the results of studies done with lab animals. They concluded that the few studies available “failed to establish an association between fluoride and cancer.” They also looked at population-based studies, including a large study conducted by the National Cancer Institute. They concluded: “Optimal fluoridation of drinking water does not pose a detectable cancer risk to humans as evidenced by extensive human epidemiological data available to date.” Another very important point is that a Harvard study, published in 2011, compared the fluoride levels in bones near tumors in people with osteosarcoma to the levels in people with other types of bone tumors. The researchers found no difference between the fluoride levels in the two …show more content…
The purpose of fluoride in our water is to help prevent tooth decay, severe cavities, and lessen the need for fillings, and the removal of teeth. Community water fluoridation is so effective at preventing tooth decay that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named it one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. The second reason they named it a health achievement was because it protects all ages against cavities. Studies show that fluoride in community water systems prevents at least 25 percent of tooth decay in children and adults. For over 70 years, the best available scientific evidence consistently indicates that community water fluoridation is safe and effective. It has been endorsed by numerous U.S. Surgeons General, and more than 100 health organizations recognize the health benefits of water fluoridation for preventing dental decay, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Fluorine also saves money. The average lifetime cost per person to fluoridate a water supply is less than the cost of one dental filling. For most cities, every $1 invested in water fluoridation saves $38 in dental treatment costs. The most convincing reason on why the cities water supply should continue to be fluoridated is
Subject: Whether or not the city should continue to fluoridate its water.
Dear Governor,
My team and I have conducted our own research on whether or not the city should continue to fluoridate it's water supply. My team and I have found convincing data on how fluoridating water is good for the human body. First of all, let’s define what water fluoridation is. This is best defined as the process of adding fluoride to the water supply so the level reaches approximately 0.7 ppm, or 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water. The water is fluoridated when the public water system is adjusted to a level that helps to prevent tooth decay and other dental problems. About 95% of fluoride is added to public …show more content…
They argue that it’s not ethical to dose the entire population with fluoride in order to reach a small subset of the population and that even underprivileged citizens should have the right to opt-out and not be treated without consent. Yet in 1991, the US Public Health Service issued a report on the benefits and risks of fluoride. When looking at a possible tie-in with cancer, they first reviewed the results of studies done with lab animals. They concluded that the few studies available “failed to establish an association between fluoride and cancer.” They also looked at population-based studies, including a large study conducted by the National Cancer Institute. They concluded: “Optimal fluoridation of drinking water does not pose a detectable cancer risk to humans as evidenced by extensive human epidemiological data available to date.” Another very important point is that a Harvard study, published in 2011, compared the fluoride levels in bones near tumors in people with osteosarcoma to the levels in people with other types of bone tumors. The researchers found no difference between the fluoride levels in the two …show more content…
The purpose of fluoride in our water is to help prevent tooth decay, severe cavities, and lessen the need for fillings, and the removal of teeth. Community water fluoridation is so effective at preventing tooth decay that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named it one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. The second reason they named it a health achievement was because it protects all ages against cavities. Studies show that fluoride in community water systems prevents at least 25 percent of tooth decay in children and adults. For over 70 years, the best available scientific evidence consistently indicates that community water fluoridation is safe and effective. It has been endorsed by numerous U.S. Surgeons General, and more than 100 health organizations recognize the health benefits of water fluoridation for preventing dental decay, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Fluorine also saves money. The average lifetime cost per person to fluoridate a water supply is less than the cost of one dental filling. For most cities, every $1 invested in water fluoridation saves $38 in dental treatment costs. The most convincing reason on why the cities water supply should continue to be fluoridated is