Can we have a civilized talk about the U.S. water fluoridation industry?

[laundry_queen]

74. Well

In my personal experience, fluoridation helps and is worth it.

My kids were all born in places that didn't have fluoridation here in Canada. They all had varying issues with decay. Until you've had to have your toddler put under a general anesthetic so that she can have teeth capped, removed, filled etc and then hold her when she wakes up screaming, with a bloody mouth and in pain, it's easy to discount a 'little bit of decay'. After my first daughter, I was absolutely fanatical with my next 3 children with brushing, early dentist appointments, we were seen by the local public health unit for fluoride varnish every 3 months and so on....none of it helped much. 3 out of the 4 were bad enough to need early dental surgery (one needed it twice) Every dentist appointment, there were more cavities. In between that, there were abscesses.

The dental bills were astronomical.

Then we moved to an area with fluoridation. Not. One. Single. Cavity. Since. In 4.5 years. The effect was so dramatic there is nothing else it could possibly be.

Since they broke their first tooth we did the topical fluoride, the brushing/flossing/rinsing. They didn't drink juice. We didn't 'do' sippy cups. They didn't eat much sugar. We even did the Xylitol gum recommended to us. None of it helped and the decay was ongoing until we moved. At first, the decay was blamed on my breastfeeding my toddlers...but the decay continued well after they were weaned, and some of my kids' teeth CAME IN with cavities. The dental nurse at the health unit said she'd never seen anything like it.

I get that what I experienced with my kids was anecdotal. I get that people think there are risks to fluoridation or that it's industrial waste. But if I had to do it over again, I'd have bought the fluoride and added it to their water myself.