In a win for what many anti-vaccine backers call “health freedom” and a likely loss for children who lack proper and routine dental care, the Collier County Board of County Commissioners voted this week to no longer fluoridate the county’s drinking water, something it has been doing since 1985 to help boost dental care.
Since the mid-1940s, communities across the county have been adding fluoride to water. And for about as long, there has been opposition despite the practice being backed by the World Health Organization.
Fluoridation is also supported by The American Dental Association; American Medical Association and Florida Department of Health.
Five dentists spoke in favor of fluoride during public comment at Tuesday's meeting and some 40, mostly everyday citizens, extolled perceived dangers of fluoride, saying adding it to a community water supply is like forced medical treatments.
Board chairman Chris Hall had this to say: “I’m all for removing it and giving people the choice to add the fluoride they want to and the ones that don’t want to don’t have it pushed upon them so. It’s all about health freedom and limited government and I’m all about it.”
It’s important to note that fluoride is a mineral and some levels of it are already in the nation’s water supply. In areas where levels are to low to help prevent tooth decay communities have added it.
There are trace fluoride amounts in some mouthwashes and toothpaste, but you can’t just go to a drug store and buy over-the-counter supplements.
Dr. Lauren Governale is clinical director for the University of Florida Naples Children Education Foundation’s pediatric dental center, which helps underserved children. She told Collier commissioners that the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends children that don’t have access to fluoridated water get a prescription for fluoride supplements – not an easy task.
“Unfortunately for low-income families, complying with this method is not possible at times due to many barriers such as alack of access to care,” Governale said.
She said dental care is the greatest need for at-risk children. The wait-list to see her can exceed a year and by then, children need to be sedated because their teeth are in bad shape.
“Community fluoridation is responsible for dramatically improving oral health and has an unrivaled track record so why change it," she told the commissioners. "There is no reason to discontinue this important public health resource for the citizens of Collier County.”
After two hours of public comment the commission voted 5 to 0 to no longer fluoridate the water. This decision does not impact Marco Island and Immokalee. Marco does not fluorinate its water. Immokalee does.
In spite of voting to remove the fluoride from the community's drinking supply, commissioners Daniel Kowal and Bill McDaniel expressed concern about disenfranchised children. The two officials said they want to meet with health experts to try to help the children and not hinder them.
Collier is not the first major municipality to end fluoridation of public water. In 2011 Pinellas County voted to stop the practice only to come back the next year and decide to add it back. Neighboring Hernando and Pasco counties do not fluorinate their water nor does Clearwater and Largo, according to the Florida Action Network, a pro-non fluoridation advocacy group that is tracking this.
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