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The difference is that said municipalities mandate that this toxic substance be added to people's water. That horribly toxic chemical chlorine is added to wat

The difference is that said municipalities mandate that this toxic substance be added to people's water. That horribly toxic chemical chlorine is added to water too. It is significantly more toxic than sodium fluoride. It also happens to be responsible for the greatest improvement in public health in the 20th century. Sane countries banned fluoridation long ago. Most countries who don't fluorinate water didn't ban it. They simply never implemented it or stopped implementing it because it is quite expensive and technically difficult to do well. Instead many simply add fluoride to their table salt (like France, Germany, Switzerland) or heavily pushed topical fluoride applications. The countries that have neither (like say Japan), tend to have significantly worse dental health than the US. Meanwhile, there is no hard, double-blind science backing any clear benefits of fluoridation You must be kidding. We have long-term longitudinal studies that clearly show the benefits and safety. Every decade, someone puts out a review paper[1] of the studies and comes to the same conclusion, fluoridation at low levels is good. We have scientific consensus that it is beneficial. 1. http://www.nature.com/ebd/journal/v9/n2/full/6400578a.html http://www.nature.com/ebd/journal/v9/n2/full/6400578a.html

aric 13y ago
Chlorine has a clear justifiable use and is easy to remove. Hence, filtration is very popular and recommended to remove chlorine and other contaminants. Water treatment serves to bring a base level of safety. That which does not kill one quickly is not equivalent to that with which one should be satisfied. Fluoridation, alternatively, is not easy to remove. Fortunately, I can afford distillation and reverse osmosis. Many other people can't. I'm not sure why you're so eager to medicate the water supply when more studies, decade after decade, present more negatives. Positive fluoride studies are notorious for conflating correlation with causation, especially in light of the more direct causation of cultural advances in education for merely brushing teeth as well as access to dental care. There is a lack of evidence showing significant variance in dental caries between fluoridated and non-fluoridated municipalities. That should alarm you. Fluoride accumulates. For whatever reason, you don't seem interested in its negatives. Again... Even if there are light or even startling benefits, it does not make valid the ethics of mass medication. You may feel strongly about wanting everyone to have fluoride. I suggest voicing your pro-fluoridation stance in a more positive way rather than advocating it be done through a water supply where it's very hard to remove, and compounds. Maybe advocate for "free fluoride tablets" and fluoride-filled toothpaste if you must. Don't include others in your treatment.

aric 13y ago

Chlorine has a clear justifiable use and is easy to remove. Hence, filtration is very popular and recommended to remove chlorine and other contaminants. Water treatment serves to bring a base level of safety. That which does not kill one quickly is not equivalent to that with which one should be satisfied. Fluoridation, alternatively, is not easy to remove. Fortunately, I can afford distillation and reverse osmosis. Many other people can't. I'm not sure why you're so eager to medicate the water supply when more studies, decade after decade, present more negatives. Positive fluoride studies are notorious for conflating correlation with causation, especially in light of the more direct causation of cultural advances in education for merely brushing teeth as well as access to dental care. There is a lack of evidence showing significant variance in dental caries between fluoridated and non-fluoridated municipalities. That should alarm you. Fluoride accumulates. For whatever reason, you don't seem interested in its negatives. Again... Even if there are light or even startling benefits, it does not make valid the ethics of mass medication. You may feel strongly about wanting everyone to have fluoride. I suggest voicing your pro-fluoridation stance in a more positive way rather than advocating it be done through a water supply where it's very hard to remove, and compounds. Maybe advocate for "free fluoride tablets" and fluoride-filled toothpaste if you must. Don't include others in your treatment.