geo Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 In a letter / article in this weeks examiner was the campaign to stop fluoridation of our drinking water supply. Whilst the article was informative it only gave one side of the storey. Has anyone else got info on this and is anyone here privy to the IOM Water Authorities stance on the subject as their web site seems devoid of any relevant info on this. Geo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momo65 Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 I have no insight into the Water Authority's plans but the lack of fluoridation is part of the reason for the massive problems with dental care. The workload looks massive and the dental health of children here is very poor. I know that in silly amounts fluoride is poisonous - but then so is vitamin B and there isn't a huge outcry about it's addition to food. Even more relevant is the addition of iodine to table salt to prevent thyroid problems. The anti-fluroide lobby cannot show a single person that has been damaged as a result of fluroide in water - despite the millions who are exposed to it daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dames Aflame Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 This is a very hot topic for me. I'm American and have never had a single cavity. I have lived here for two years and when I finally got a dentist a couple of month ago, I was mortified to learn i had three cavities!!!!! I haven't changed my routine since I've come over here, so the only thing I can surmise is that it is the lack of flouride in the water. I shudder to think how my teeth are going to be in the next two years!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue kipper Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 It's not as if we can tell if there is flouride in the water or not anyway. Right now the Water Board are probably pouring gallons of the stuff into Injebreck reservior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uni Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 I've got a great idea, how about we brush our teeth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 Whilst putting fluoride in our water would help the problem regarding poor dental hygiene, maybe if children were taught from an early age the importance of brushing their teeth every day and were shown the correct way to brush them there wouldn't be such a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geo Posted June 30, 2004 Author Share Posted June 30, 2004 Whilst putting fluoride in our water would help the problem regarding poor dental hygiene, maybe if children were taught from an early age the importance of brushing their teeth every day and were shown the correct way to brush them there wouldn't be such a problem. Sounds a bit like "Whilst introducing an all island speed limit would help the problem of deaths on our roads, maybe if drivers were taught from an early age the improtance of keeping on the right side of the road every time they drive and were shown the way to drive then there wouldn't be a problem." it doesn't matter how much you teach someone, educate someone or take them by the hand, there will always be those (either in breaking the speed limit or brushing their teath) who either refuse or just cant be arsed doing the right thing. If cutting down deaths on our roads or reducing tooth decay was as esy as putting something in the water then I would be all for it. With the apparant crisis in the dental industry would it not be prudent to do something as simple as putting flouride in our water. BTW both my kids brush their teath twice every day and my eldest still had to have a cavity filled last year !! geo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhone Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 touche Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 Sounds a bit like "Whilst introducing an all island speed limit would help the problem of deaths on our roads, maybe if drivers were taught from an early age the improtance of keeping on the right side of the road every time they drive and were shown the way to drive then there wouldn't be a problem." it doesn't matter how much you teach someone, educate someone or take them by the hand, there will always be those (either in breaking the speed limit or brushing their teath) who either refuse or just cant be arsed doing the right thing. If cutting down deaths on our roads or reducing tooth decay was as esy as putting something in the water then I would be all for it. With the apparant crisis in the dental industry would it not be prudent to do something as simple as putting flouride in our water. BTW both my kids brush their teath twice every day and my eldest still had to have a cavity filled last year !! geo I never said I didn't agree with fluoridation of the water, I used to be a dental nurse and I do think it's a good idea but putting fluoride in the water isn't gonna stop children getting cavities, it's not an alternative to brushing your teeth! Sure it'll help, but it ain't gonna bring about the end of fillings. Some people have stronger enamel on their teeth than others. BTW both my kids brush their teeth every day and neither of mine have had to have cavities filled!! Maybe you should look at the sugar in their diets??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
germann Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 Count yourselves lucky. If I drink the water over here, I'll have the squirts for days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveourwater Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Hi Good to see that our article has been read by some and already started the debate, exactly what we wanted to achieve. We did try to put both sides of the argument and re-reading the article believe that some of the pro argument has been stated in the piece. We also included web links to both pro and anti fluoride websites in our press release but the paper decided not to include them! There is fluoride in all water, including the IOM water, it is naturally occuring calcium fluoride and does, as the article says, benefit the skeletal frame and immune system before passing out of the body naturally. The artificial water fluoridation chemicals arise from major industry, mainly from the phosphate feriliser industry whereby phosphate rock is mined and then refined by adding sulphuric acid to the crushed bedrock. During this process noxious gasses are released, these gasses were originally allowed to escape into the atmosphere where they killed crops and made people and cattle extremely sick with fluoride poisoning. The US government imposed restrictions on releasing these dangerous 'fluorides' and forced industry to use 'pollution scrubbers' to capture the fluoride gasses, pretty soon massive amounts of these highly toxic chemicals were piling up in specially designed steel containers. When a link was made between high levels of naturally occuring fluoride and strong teeth an industry sponsored scientist came up with the idea of diluting the toxic waste into public water supplies - that was 50 years ago in the States and the practice has been going on ever since. "The anti-fluroide lobby cannot show a single person that has been damaged as a result of fluroide in water - despite the millions who are exposed to it daily. " 60 million Indians suffer from crippling skeletal fluorosis today as a direct result of fluoridation. Fluoride has been shown to have most effect during a topical application (that is applied directly to the teeth), why ingest something, albeit in fairly low doses every day because some children have poor teeth? Artificial fluorides are not chemically bound to calcium and so do not pass through the body easily, they accumulate over time and combine in the the body wherever they can, usually finding their way into existing tooth enamel and bone structures where they actually weaken the existing systems, they are also contaminated with other highly toxic substances such as lead and arsenic, after all they are toxic waste and untreated! Also most toothpaste contains fluoride (cleaner pharmaceutical grade fluoride) and if you are brushing two times a day where is the need for fluoride in the water? This is also a human rights issue, everyone has the right to refuse medication and if fluoridation goes ahead your human rights will be broken - thin end of the wedge? The water authority have said (like many UK water authorities) that they will fluoridate if forced to do so by government but that they will require that government provide suitable idemnities from possible public lawsuits against them. There is also space in the design of the new water treatment works at Sulby for a fluoridation plant - even though it is not yet official policy! We do not want to see the island's tap or ground water riddled with toxic waste from major industry, nor do we want our human rights eroded in this way. We want everyone to start talking about this issue and do their own homework, a couple of goods sites to visit for a start would be as follows, on the pro side check out the British Fluoridation Society, interesting to see that they call the pollution scrubbers valuable fluoride capture devices! http://www.nofluoride.com http://www.fluoridealert.org http://www.bfsweb.org/aboutbfs.htm If you want to do something to help stop this then write to your MHK, the newspaper and or telephone the Mannin Line, all these activites will help create debate and awareness. As for the person who has experienced dental cavities since coming to the island - who knows, perhaps it was because you did not visit a dentist for 2 years, or maybe you are experiencing phase 2 fluorosis due to being massively over exposed to fluorides during your years in the states! Almost every other country in Europe has either now stopped fluoridating or never adopted the practice in the first place due to insufficient evidence of safety. The Swedes consulted with the Nobel Institute who advised against fluoridation, the French with the Pasteur institute who also advised against, yet our own DHSS public health consultant Dr Emerson (an obstetrician, not a dentist) knows better! Do the homework, we have, then make up your own mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Educa Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 This is a very hot topic for me. I'm American and have never had a single cavity. I have lived here for two years and when I finally got a dentist a couple of month ago, I was mortified to learn i had three cavities!!!!! I haven't changed my routine since I've come over here, so the only thing I can surmise is that it is the lack of flouride in the water. I shudder to think how my teeth are going to be in the next two years!! I have a 14.5 year old son. He was born/has lived here all his life. His teeth are absolutely perfect - he has regular check ups and has never had to had a filling or any work done. (I take him to a private dentist, so I know I am him properly checked). We do use fluoride toothpaste - so maybe that is enough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Saveourwater - interesting and informative post. There is a lot of scaremongering in America with regards to health and what is good and bad for our wellbeing.............both your links showing the argument against fluoridation were to sites that are primarily american based. There is no denying that fluoride does strengthen teeth. Fluorosis is a side effect but mostly where there is a very high level of fluoride in the water, I think about 2-4 parts per million. To get very severe fluorosis you'd have to be taking in very high, regular amounts of fluoride. In areas where water is fluoridated you do have to be careful about using both fluoride toothpaste and fluoride tablets together. This is one of those debates where there's no right or wrong answer, you're never gonna be able to please everybody whatever the outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 There's nowt wrong with NHS dentists, Educa. Just because you see a private dentist doesn't mean you get better service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Educa Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 There's nowt wrong with NHS dentists, Educa. Just because you see a private dentist doesn't mean you get better service. sorry, but that depends on your experience. And I have certainly received far superior service with private dentist than I was with NHS one. I can personally vouch for that. (I am sure it is down to funding, but whatever the reason, afraid I want the best care for my not-so pearly whites!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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