From: Dr. Chris Hansen

West Allis

To the Editor:

The Wisconsin Dental Association — representing nearly 3,000 dentists throughout the Badger State — is proud of its standing as our state’s authoritative source of oral health information. Therefore, I cannot let misinformation presented in a recent letter to the editor about fluoride in drinking water go unchecked.

In touting her lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the letter writer (who is well-known for her anti-fluoride tactics) omits a key point: that the ruling “does not conclude with any certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health,” as stated by District Court Judge Edward Chen. The ruling does not ban or in any way limit the addition of fluoride to public drinking water supplies. Community water fluoridation at optimal levels is currently defined as 0.7 parts per million by the U.S. Public Health Service and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and many leading public health authorities.

Scientific evidence around the benefit of community water fluoridation is clear and compelling. Even in an era with widespread availability of fluoride from various sources such as toothpaste and mouth rinses, studies show that community water fluoridation prevents at least 25% of tooth decay in children and adults throughout their life span. Additionally, optimally fluoridated water is accessible to communities regardless of socioeconomic status, education or other social variables — meaning its protection is available to everyone, not just a select few.

Sadly, widespread misinformation about fluoride — much of it propagated by the letter writer — is circulating online and in social media. This information is not always based on research conducted according to impartial and evidence-based scientific methodology, and conclusions are not always scientifically justifiable or without bias. We urge your readers and the public at large to be cautious of “pseudo-science.”

For more than 75 years, U.S. public water systems have adjusted the existing and naturally occurring fluoride levels in drinking water to the recommended optimum concentration to help prevent tooth decay. The CDC has hailed community water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. The WDA encourages to the City of Monroe to listen to facts, not fear, and protect the oral health of its citizens by maintaining fluoride in the municipal water system.