FLUORIDE DATE LECTURE #22 - TEXAS DENTAL HEALTH: NOTHING TO BRAG ABOUT

                                                             

                                                          Hard-to-Get Texas Dental Report Highlights
                                                                      Water Fluoridation's Poor Record

Good afternoon, Mayor Leffingwell and Councilmembers.  Last time, I mentioned this report by the Texas Dental Association that assesses the current oral health of Texans.  Please bear in mind, as I read a few quotes, that the main premise on which water fluoridation has always been marketed is that it’s  a cavity preventer of particular value for economically disadvantaged children, who might not have good oral hygiene habits or get to see a dentist very often.  

The report is modeled after the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health in America of 2000.  Here’s what then-Surgeon General Satcher had to say at the time:

Quote:  “A silent epidemic of oral diseases afflicts minorities and low income Americans…those who suffer the worst oral health are found among the poor of all ages, with poor children and older Americans particularly vulnerable.” Unquote.

 Not a very good record for water fluoridation, which has been in place for decades in the larger urban centers, where most of those underserved populations reside. 

Also from Satcher, this quote:  80% of Medicaid-eligible kids don’t receive dental care because few dentists take Medicaid.” Unquote.  And I’ll add that that’s still true today, and it’s the real crux of the problem.    Fluoridated water is nothing more than a placebo. 

Now four quick points from our own 2008 Texas report. 

    · Poor oral health is widespread in Texas
    · Texas exceeds the national average in fluoridation of municipal water supplies.
    · Texas scores worst in the nation in rate of untreated tooth decay among children.
    · Half of Texas children eligible for dental services under Medicaid never access those 
      services.

Can we make some connections here?  Between low-income children’s failure to obtain dental care and the poor state of their teeth?   Water fluoridation is widespread in Texas cities and so is severe tooth decay.  How can we continue to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year on useless water fluoridation when those same funds could be turned to productive purposes:  toothpaste and toothbrushes, education, vouchers for dental visits the possibilities are endless.  I urge you to consider them.  Thank you.

Posted by M. Rae Nadler-Olenick at 11/5/2009 3:27 PM
Categories: health wellness environment
Tags: fluoride water fluoridation Austin Texas teeth dental decay caries Medicaid
 

What did you think of this article?




Trackbacks
Trackback specific URL for this post
  • No trackbacks exist for this post.
Comments
Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)

Leave a comment

Submitted comments are subject to moderation before being displayed.

 Enter the above security code (required)

 Name

 Email (will not be published)

 Website

Your comment is 0 characters limited to 3000 characters.