Oregonians cool to water-fluoridation idea - -

August 7, 2006

Oregonians cool to water-fluoridation idea

Why don't we have fluoridated water here in the Rogue Valley? Do the health risks outweigh the benefits?

-- Rob W., Ashland

Small amounts of fluoride occur naturally in the water in several places around the United States, and the scarcity of tooth decay in those areas prompted many communities to add fluoride to their water supply over the past 60 years.

The federal Centers for Disease Control calls fluoridation one of the top 10 health accomplishments of the past century, and the American Dental Hygienists Association credits it with a significant reduction in tooth decay in areas where it has been introduced.

Oregonians, however, have been rather cool to adding anything to their drinking water, and only a few Oregon communities have voted to fluoridate their water. Salem, Beaverton, Tigard, Florence and Forest Grove approved fluoridation measures, but more than 80 percent of Oregonians drink unfluoridated water.

Tooth decay happens when bacteria in the mouth produce an acid that erodes the minerals on the surface of the teeth. Fluoride fights decay by "re-mineralizing" the surface of the teeth, creating a surface that is more resistant to the acid that forms in the mouth.

Medford voters twice (in 1956 and 1962) rejected proposals to put fluoride in the water. In 1998, the Jackson County Public Health Advisory board broached the issue again, but rescinded it quickly after a public survey failed to show broad support, and opponents responded with angry phone calls. Fluoridation came before the Oregon Legislature in 2005, but a bill that would have required communities of more than 10,000 people to fluoridate their water died in a state Senate committee.

Local dentists such as Anne Dennehy hope eventually to collect enough signatures to put a fluoridation measure on the ballot in Medford. Dennehy, a pediatric dentist, says fluoride has no health risks at the recommended dosage for fighting tooth decay — about 1 milligram per milliliter (equivalent to about 1 ounce in 7.5 gallons of water).

Fluoride opponents say high doses (above 4 parts per million) may weaken bones or cause discolorations to appear on the surface of the teeth. Dennehy and other fluoride supporters say those arguments have no merit because fluoride would be added to the water at about one-fourth that concentration.

There are other ways to expose teeth to fluoride without putting it in the drinking water, such as fluoride rinses or prescription toothpaste that has a higher concentrations of fluoride than those sold over the

counter. The island nation of

Jamaica decided to fluoridate its salt as a way to decrease tooth decay.

Water, however, is a particularly effective way to deliver fluoride to the teeth, says Lee Murdoch, a retired Medford pediatrician. Water swirls over and around the teeth whenever we drink it. Swallowing fluoridated water throughout the day would bathe the teeth in fluoride more frequently than once- or twice-daily brushings or rinses.

Fluoride foes say people should not be forced to consume something they don't want. Murdoch notes that many communities put chlorine in their water to kill disease organisms. Other food items are modified, too: milk in grocery stores is fortified with vitamin D; iodine is added to table salt, and folic acid is added to many breads.

In 2003, the Medford Water Commission estimated the cost of setting up a system to fluoridate the water supply at about $500,000. The cost of fluoride itself would add 3 to 4 cents per 1,000 gallons of water to the average residential water bill, or about $5 to $7 a year. Adjusting pH levels could add about $12 per year to each residential bill. Medford water is also distributed to residents of Central Point, Eagle Point, Phoenix, Talent, White City and Jacksonville, but only Medford residents would vote on any measure to fluoridate the water, because the Medford Water Commission is an entity within the city.

Dennehy says the lifetime per-person cost of fluoridated water is less than the cost of filling one cavity.

Call Bill Kettler with your medical questions at 776-4492, or e-mail them to: bkettler@mailtribune.com or send them to: Mail Tribune, Ask Your Doctors, P.O. Box 1108, Medford OR 97501.