Dentists and health organizations recommend patients be aware of dental treatments and fluoride availability at pharmacies.
By Stan Goff, Senior Managing Editor
As reported by Dentistry Today last month, Utah was the first state to agree to place a ban on community water fluoridation. Well, yesterday the law took effect and so, again health officials and dentists are urging Uthans to protect their teeth.
Despite concerns raised by dentists, the American Dental Association (ADA) and other national health organizations, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed House Bill 81 into law March 27. It states that a person “may not add fluoride to water in, or water that will be introduced into, a public system” and that a political subdivision “may not enact or enforce an ordinance that requires or permits the addition of fluoride to water in, or water that will be introduced into, a public water system.”
This news brought vocal opposition from the ADA and many other health organizations. The ADA has supported community water fluoridation for years as a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay and, according to the ADA News website, notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named water fluoridation one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.
Well-known dentist Dr. Edward Zuckerberg, DDS, FAGD, is a believer in the benefits of fluoridated water. “There’s a whole bunch of—especially with the internet and social media now—a whole bunch of fake news and whatnot. But the one thing we can say is that fluoride has brought about a tremendous reduction in tooth decay, especially in the minority population, where it’s most critical, because they might not have resources or the necessary care,” he told Dentistry Today.
That said, Utah has moved away from fluoridated water. The House Bill, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, prevents counties and municipalities from adding fluoride to drinking water, while adding it to the list of drugs pharmacists can prescribe.
Gricius reasons the decision should be left to the individual.
“I would just say it doesn’t get more local control than my own body,” she said during the legislative session earlier this year, as reported by the Utah News Dispatch.
Gricius’ bill was one of several that aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, agenda promoted by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Back in November Kennedy had stated that the administration of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump would recommend water systems nationwide to remove fluoride.
Now, health officials like Stacey Bank, executive medical director for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, states the focus is on educating the public and reminding them that fluoride is now readily available at most pharmacies. Additionally, dentists can provide treatments and information on fluoride products designed to help protect patients who may need extra help in preventing caries, and those who may have previously had access to fluoridated water supplies.
Fluoridated water has long been a topic of some debate, but most dentists and many health officials argue it has had a positive impact on helping promote good oral health, especially for children and people who may not regularly visit a dentist.
Dr. Zuckerberg, chief educational officer at Oral Biolife, has been a dentist for almost 5 decades. Right out of dental school he observed how important fluoride in water can be after he noticed a specific group of patients with caries much more than the rest of his patients.
“I mean fluoride is something that’s been contested for as long as I’ve been a dentist, which is 47 years now,” said Dr. Zuckerberg, who practiced full time in Dobbs Ferry, NY from 1981 to 2013, and who now lives in California and mostly serves as a lecturer and dental consultant, but who still is a licensed dentist.
When Dr. Zuckerberg first did a general practice residency at the VA hospital in Brooklyn, “cavities among young kids just didn’t happen,” because New York City has highly fluoridated water. After moving to Westchester County, NY, the father of social media pioneer Mark Zuckerberg continued to practice in New York and in Westchester, in Dobbs Ferry, where he practiced dentistry in his house.
“So, one thing I noticed is that there was a segment of the population up in Westchester that was getting tooth decay,” he explained. “I looked into it, wondering what’s going on, and a neighboring town, Irvington (NY), was a holdout. They did not use fluoride. They got their water from the Irvington water supply. They had their own reservoir, and their water supply was not fluoridated. So, I educated all my parents, kids who, you know, lived in Irvington, and put them all on fluoride drops or tablets, depending on their age.”
Dr. Zuckerberg admits this is not scientifically proven research, but adds that what he experienced back then was a “significant” increase in caries from the patients who were not drinking fluoridated water.
With Utah—and maybe other states in the future—banning fluoride in public water supplies, more people will have to be more proactive about getting fluoride. This could be a burden, especially to low-income families that may already struggle with access to transportation or public health information.
Educating the public also will be key so that patients not getting fluoride in their water know to consult their dentists and/or check with pharmacies on adding fluoride to their regular routines at home.
Utah is the first U.S. state to pass a sweeping ban, and the ADA and other health organizations are hoping that not too many others follow suit.
Photo Credit: Image at top right generated by AI.
