Op-Ed:  Should New Castle continue to fluoridate its water?

August 8, 2008
by Susan Rubin, DMD

We can all be proud that we live in a community with a state-of-the-art water plant. Our water is some of the best in the country. However, two toxins are added to that water after it’s been cleansed and purified at the plant in Millwood. Those two toxic compounds are chlorine and fluoride

Chlorine is added to kill germs, just like in a backyard pool. Chlorine can be easily filtered out of your water by using a water filter. Shower and tub filters are also a smart idea to prevent absorption of chlorine through the skin.

Fluoride, as you may have been told by your dentist, is added to the water to decrease tooth decay. It is not as easy to filter out of your home water supply as chlorine is. Costly reverse osmosis filters are necessary. The safety and effectiveness of fluoridating our community is what I urge New Castle residents to reconsider.

Distinguishing between fluoride treatments and fluoride-treated water

As dentists, we were taught in dental school that fluoride is safe and effective in reducing tooth decay. The fluoride treatment your dentist gives you at the office is different than the fluoride we are drinking in our water. The dental fluoride treatment works directly on tooth enamel, topically, to strengthen it to better resist tooth decay. You don’t swallow it.

The theory of systemic water fluoridation is that when you drink water while your adult teeth are being formed, from ages one through eight, you will absorb that fluoride into your teeth resulting in stronger enamel that is resistant to decay. Fluoride in our water supply, if it really does work, only benefits children ages one to eight. The American Dental Association warns parents that babies under the age of one should not be ingesting fluoridated water. The rest of the population receives absolutely no benefit from fluoridated water and, from what I’ve recently learned, may even be harmed by it. If you think about it, it’s questionable ethically to medicate an entire population if only a small percentage receives a benefit.

Fluoride poses dangers to the thyroid function

One of the reasons I changed my professional opinion about fluoridation of our water has to do with thyroid function. It is a well-accepted fact that fluoride decreases thyroid function. I learned this when my youngest daughter was born with congenital hypothyroidism. You may know of friends and relatives with thyroid issues, it’s very common. Anyone on thyroid medication should learn about the connection with fluoride. Here is a helpful site: http://thyroid.about.com/cs/toxicchemicalsan/a/flouride.htm

Many health issues associated with fluoridated water

There are many health issues associated with fluoride in our water supply. I will list some that I have come across in my research.
 Increase in hip fractures in postmenopausal women.
 Symptoms that mimic skeletal arthritis.
 Reduction of thyroid function.
 Increase in bone cancer
 Increased permeability of aluminum across the blood brain barrier (a possible Alzheimer’s link)

In addition, fluoridated communities experience a significant increase in dental fluorosis, manifested as white or brown blotches on tooth enamel.

The economics behind fluoridation

My extensive research has turned up no studies that demonstrate that universal fluoridation is safe or effective. The fluoride compounds that we use in our water systems, sodium fluorosilicate and hydrofluorosilicic acid, are by-products of the fertilizer and pesticide industries. They are toxic wastes that these industries, if they didn’t sell them to community water systems, would otherwise need to pay to dispose of safely

Fortunately, we live in a community where all of our children have good access to dental care. Taking fluoride out of our water will not adversely impact rates of tooth decay in our kids.  Removing the fluoride will save our town money, which currently costs $30,000 a year, and may save each of you from possible adverse health effects. 

When it comes to fluoride in our water, I believe the risks outweigh the possible benefits. This is my opinion as a dentist who has studied the topic. But don’t just take my word for it. I urge you to do your own research. When you are satisfied, please urge our town board to take out the fluoride.

Resources for more information on the question of fluoride include:
 The Fluoride Action Network   http://www.fluroidealert.org
 Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org
 The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson available at the Chappaqua Library

Susan Rubin, DMD, is a 20-year Chappaqua resident, retired dentist and mother of three. She is the founder of Better School Food (http://www.betterschoolfood.org), which works to raise awareness about the connection between food and children’s health, behavior and learning, and is writing a book on food and parenting.