Home » content Fluoride returns to the City of Del Rio's water system

Del Rio Live ^ | October 24, 2006 | Alejandra Valdez

[balch3]

Del Rio’s drinking water supply will contain fluoride after all. City council flip-flopped on the issue Tuesday night (Oct. 24), voting 5-1 to reverse last month’s unanimous vote that had brought an immediate halt to fluoridation.

In a room packed with citizens, physicians and dentists passionate about the matter, the return to fluoridation came after more than two hours of presentations, questions, discussions and heatedly expressed opinions.

“I came here sort of with my mind made up. But after hearing all of this, I’m still not sure how to vote, so I think the best thing to do is to take the advice of professionals in the room who do know,” said Wrob to the delight of the majority of the people present.

After a total of 4 presentations, two for and two against fluoridation, council voted to correct what Mayor Efrain Valdez considered to be the fault of previous city councils who did not seek benefit of technical experts.

“This should have happened in the ‘80s and ‘90s. If it had happened when they first put this in the water, we would not have been here tonight… If they had gone through all of the research, we would not be here today,” said Valdez.

Del Rio native Dr. Howard “Mister” Hunt, a pediatric dentist who practices in a mobile unit that services Apache children in Arizona, opened the fluoridation issue with a moving presentation about the needs of the children.

“I’m here for the children of this community because I love this community,” said Hunt, who was as emotionally connected to the issue, as he was professionally. Hunt spoke boldly and passionately stating that the city’s decision to cease fluoridation in the drinking water “can and will be harmful to the children, especially.”

“I saw atrocities of decay - I saw it,” asserted Hunt. Hunt also said that a cavity is an infection, explaining that Coke, candy and limes among other things, soften the enamel of teeth, while hardening occurs with saliva and recirculating fluoride.

Illustrating similarities in cavities and potholes, Hunt explained, “When we get potholes (in our streets) we go and fill it, but we cannot reverse it.” “And there is a large portion of clients who only go when they are in pain. Caries (tooth decay) is a disease that is preventable,” said Hunt, who broke down as he showed the projected images of two children he had treated. Both children had one side of their faces grotesquely distorted, as a result of tooth decay.

City Councilwoman Lisa Cadena Craig defended fluoridation at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Cadena Craig chastised other council members for having voted to stop fluoridation during her absence from a council meeting back in September. Cadena Craig drove home her passion for protection of the health of all citizens, but with particular focus on children. LIVE! photo/Bill Sontag “This is what can and will happen,” said Hunt, as he explained the degree of work the children had required. “Fluoride prevents all of this from happening- it is a re-hardening of the tooth. Prevention is priceless,” finished Hunt, passing the podium to local dentist Larry Lindenschmidt, who has practiced dentistry in Del Rio since 1975.

Lindenschmidt simply reminded council that a natural fluoride already exists in our San Felipe Springs drinking water, but in an insufficient amount to provide protection. Lindenschmidt also stated that regulating agencies keep a watchful eye on fluoride manufacturers “to make sure the amount (of fluoride) we get is proper,” said Lindenschmidt.

Proponents for fluoridation then addressed the validity of case studies published on the Internet, versus peer-reviewed literature published in scientific journals, and endorsed by federal and state health agencies, as well as professional organizations. Dr. Sandra Guerra-Cantu, director, Region 8, Texas Department of State Health Services, boldly addressed scare tactics used by fluoride opponents.

“If there was something found to be hazardous to your health, the health department would alert you to the issue and let you know what to do to protect yourself from harm,” said Guerra-Cantu, adding that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describe fluoridation of water as one the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.

“Why add fluoride to our water? To provide protection!” said Guerra- Cantu. “It is an intervention used to promote healthy living for one’s loved ones, much in the manner of hand washing, using seatbelts, getting vaccines, locking doors and supporting law enforcement,” Guerra- Cantu explained.

Opponents to fluoridation, led by Ron Burton did not deny positive attributes to fluoride use, claiming that his group only worried about the ingestion of fluoride, versus using the product in a manner that would only have contact with teeth and only in proper levels.

Robert J. Dinoir addressed council. Dinoir voiced concerns regarding water filtration systems not being able to remove fluoridation from water, as well as concerns derived from studies claiming a correlation between bone cancer in young boys, kidney disease, and fluoridated water.

Dr. John P. Brown, professor of dentistry at U.T. Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, debunks what he sees as misleading “research” about hazards of fluoridation. Calling fluorides vital protections against tooth damage and ensuing diseases, Brown said city council members must rely on professional research in accepted medical and scientific literature upon which to base their decisions of health-related matters. LIVE! photo/Bill Sontag At that, Dinoir asked city council to “safely wait until the medical and scientific community consign fluoride to the long list of medicines, procedures and substances they once thought were beneficial, but are now known to be ‘hazardous to your health.’”

Expansive and more passionate debate ensued, even straying from the primary subject to a discussion about local dentists that are willing to see Medicaid patients and are poorly reimbursed for the effort. There were angry demands from Del Rio dentist Dr. Louis Cadena for Medicaid reform or a Medicaid dental clinic. After much deliberation, the city council finally voted five to one in favor of returning to fluoridating the local drinking water supply.

Voting in favor of the measure were city council members Lisa Cadena-Craig, Claudio Sotelo, Mike Wrob, Valdez, and Tina Martinez. Pat Cole opposed the measure solely, claiming not everyone in the local dental community was in favor of fluoridation. Rudy Chapa was not present to vote.

John Morony, retired university biology professor, defends his September protest to city council of fluoridation of city drinking water, standing by his conclusions that it is both unnecessary and unhealthy. LIVE! photo/Bill Sontag

[balch3]

A local story, but newsworthy due to the ongoing controversy over the hazards of fluoridation.

[RWR8189]

• Do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk, ice cream? Ice cream, Mandrake? Children's ice cream!...You know when fluoridation began?...1946. 1946, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual, and certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works. I first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love...Yes, a profound sense of fatigue, a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I-I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence. I can assure you it has not recurred, Mandrake. Women, er, women sense my power, and they seek the life essence. I do not avoid women, Mandrake...but I do deny them my essence.

[balch3]

ridicule, if you want, but it's a serious issue, and we owe it to our children to keep them safe from the hazards of flouride.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Mexico fluoridates table salt (like we iodize it).

Fluorides stop cavities because they are poisonous to the bacteria that cause cavities. Fluorides are also a mite poisonous to humans as well. Let families choose to rinse or brush with fluorides. Don't pollute the rest of our bodies.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

What are the supposed hazards of fluoride? Doesn't strengthen and whiten teeth?

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Doesn't (fluoride) strengthen....

[balch3]

http://www.fluoridealert.org/

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Much appreciated.

[nyscof]

Over 90% of U.S. fluoridating communities use silicofluorides which is an impure waste product of phosphate fertilizer manufacturing. It's dumped unpurified into the drinking watewr although it contains trace amounts of impurities such as lead and aresenic.

Silicofluoriodes have never been safety tested in humans or animals. Recent studies linked silicofluorides to children's higher blood lead levels. And higher blood lead levels are linked to higher rates of tooth decay, among many other health issues.

Fluoride is neither a nutrient nor essential to healthy teeth. Studies show U.S. school children are fluoride overdosed and it's ruining their teeth with dental fluorosis - white spotted, yellow or brown and sometimes pitted teeth.
But fluoridated toothpaste mamufacturers have a multi-billion dollar international money-pot. And fluoride treatments can bring a dentist $10,000 year - even though it's counterindicated for those at low risk of cavities.

Fluoridation reaches 2/3 of Americans on public water supplies and 100% via the food supply. Yet tooth decay is on the rise.

Fluoridation has contaminated our entire food chiain because of it's use in making processed foods and beverages and because fluoride containing pesticide residues remain on produce and grains. Fluoride builds up in bones as well as teeth. So there's even too much fluoride in baby's chicken food because it's made with mechanically de-boned chickens and the fluoridated bone dust gets into the finished product.

And yes, Mandrake, fluoride has poisoned your ice cream already because the cows drink fluoridated water, too.

Fluoridation began with the belief that just a little ingested fluoride incorporated into children's developing teeth to resist decay. However, modern science proves that theory all wrong. Fluoride absorbs into enamel by topical means alone. And fluoride, like all drugs, is not safe for everyone.

To sum it up, Fluoridation is ineffective at reducing tooth decay harmful to health and a waste of money.

For more info:

New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

Fluoridation News Releases
http://tinyurl.com/6kqtu

Tooth Decay Crises in Fluoridated Areas
http://www.fluoridenews.blogspot.com/


Fluoride Action Network
http://www.FluorideAction.Net/health

[Jack Hammer]

Crest has been shown to be an effective decay preventive dentifrice which can be of significant value when used in a conscientiously applied program of oral hygiene and regular professional care.

No one who lived through that ad campaign will ever forget the words - sigh....