“They’re trying to say one-size-fits-all, but just read the toothpaste. One size does not fit all,” Porter told council members Tuesday.
Based on data for 2000 from the American Dental Assn., about 162 million people, or two-thirds of the population, in the United States are served by public water systems that are fluoridated.
“It works across the community; if you’re rich or poor, you get the same benefit, so it’s a very socially just way to treat tooth decay,” Roth said. “If you’re indigent, it could be a problem for you to spend $4 on something like fluoridated mouthwash.”
Newport residents against water fluoridation say chemical additives that fluoridate municipal water supplies come from industrial waste.
That simply isn’t true, Roth said.
“That’s one of the many urban myths surrounding fluoridation. There is an industrial process that it goes through, but it’s not industrial waste or some kind of bi-product at all,” he said.
Fluoridation additives are regulated for safety by the Environmental Protective Agency and other federal agencies, Roth said.
The Internet has given rise to many sources on water fluoridation that aren’t credible, Wolcott said.
“Science has been pretty clear on the benefits of fluoridation,” Wolcott said. “In the age of the Internet, stuff gets posted online, and there’s no way to evaluate if its credible. It’s not peer-reviewed science.”
BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at brianna.bailey@latimes.com.
