Article content One of the first articles I ever wrote for The Gazette was about the benefits of water fluoridation. Now, 11 years later, we are back where we started. As the City of Montreal contemplates stopping the West Island’s water fluoridation program , I will try to make the case that fluoride is good for dental health and that it does not affect the brain development of young children.
The benefit of fluoride for human health is that it strengthens teeth, makes them more resistant to decay, and has some inhibitory action on the bacteria that lead to cavities. Its importance was discovered when researchers found that rates of tooth decay varied based on the levels of fluoride in local groundwater. Fluoride is a natural occurring element, but its concentration varies widely in different places.
In North America, fluoride concentrations in groundwater are generally very low , with the exception of some parts of the southwestern United States where proximity to the Ogalalla Aquifer results in very elevated natural levels of fluoride in drinking water. The decision to supplement drinking water with fluoride in North America led to a dramatic reduction in cavities and tooth loss over the second half of the 20th century and was declared one of the 10 great public health achievements of the century by the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unfortunately, the uptake of water fluoridation across Canada is uneven . Ontario and Manitoba have very high rates, whil.
