Health News
Lowering the amount of fluoride in drinking water, as proposed in January by the Food and Drug Administration, will increase medical expenses and harm the poor and the poorly educated the most, a mother writes in an op-ed piece in the New York Times.
- Poll Gauges Kentuckians' Consumption, Sources And Opinions Of Drinking Water; E. Ky. Likes Bottled Water More Than Other Areas
Drinking water is necessary for the human body to work properly. Because one can consume water through drinking other beverages or eating foods like lettuce, tomatoes, oranges and melons, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does...
- Halloween Candy Hikes Risk Of Cavities, Not Just From More Sugar, But From More Frequent Eating Of It; Here Are Tooth-friendly Tips
Photo from EnviroDad.comHalloween candy can rot your teeth. At Halloween, the issue is not just sugar, it's how often you eat it. Often, kids bring enough candy home from trick-or-treating to last a lifetime, but then eat the candy in a few days....
- Sick Of All The Bad Facts About Kentucky's Health? Here's Encouraging News About Oral Health And Drug Treatment
Despite the plethora of bad news about Kentucky's poor health status, there are many positive initiatives for Kentucky's oral health and substance abuse treatment, which were stories buried under health news headlines about Medicaid expansion...
- Brushing Teeth Twice A Day, Two Minutes At A Time, Is The Way To Prevent Cavities, A New Campaign Advises
Kids should brush their teeth twice a day for two whole minutes at a time, a new public-service campaign urges. The ?Kids? Healthy Mouths? campaign includes TV spots, print ads, a website, social media messages and other materials, reports Jennifer LaRue...
- Promising Tooth Varnish That Prevents Tooth Decay Will Be Applied To 25,000 Students In 16 Kentucky Appalachian Counties
Using an innovative fluoride technique, about 25,000 children in 16 Appalachian Kentucky counties will receive preventive dental care at school, under a $1.25 million pilot project announced by Gov. Steve Beshear yesterday. The counties are Bell, Breathitt,...
Health News
FDA wants to reduce standard for fluoride in public drinking water
Lowering the amount of fluoride in drinking water, as proposed in January by the Food and Drug Administration, will increase medical expenses and harm the poor and the poorly educated the most, a mother writes in an op-ed piece in the New York Times. Jane E. Brody delves into the concept of fluoridation, pointing out its benefits. "In the early years, rates of tooth decay among the young dropped by 60 percent in communities that adopted fluoridation," she writes. "Every $1 invested in fluoridation saves approximately $38 in dental treatment costs."
Though fluoride was initially thought to become incorporated into developing teeth, it was later found that its benefit is topical, meaning it works on teeth already formed. "Fluoride, which is present in saliva and concentrates in dental plaque, inhibits the action of acid on tooth minerals," she writes. "It also promotes remineralization by sticking to tooth surfaces, where it attracts calcium ions present in saliva."
Still, there remains controversy about whether or not fluoride is safe, with the substance being accused of causing everything from heart disease to Alzheimer's disease. "None of these supposed risks has ever been established in scientifically valid studies," Brody writes. "The only proven risk, a condition called fluorosis, which results in white and sometimes brownish markings on the teeth from too much fluoride, rarely results from a normal intake of fluoridated water."
Since fluoride is also available in other substances, like toothpaste, the FDA proposed reducing the amount of fluoride in public drinking water to 0.7 milligrams per liter, from a range from 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams. Brody feels the move is a mistake: "Fluoridation confers the greatest benefit to those who need it most: the poor and poorly educated and those with limited access to regular dental care," she writes. "In the years ahead, removal of fluoride from drinking water will almost certainly cost taxpayers millions of dollars in increased Medicaid expenditures." (Read more)
In Kentucky, there is 100 percent fluoridation in public drinking water systems, though perhaps half a million residents get their water from wells, springs or cisterns.
- Poll Gauges Kentuckians' Consumption, Sources And Opinions Of Drinking Water; E. Ky. Likes Bottled Water More Than Other Areas
Drinking water is necessary for the human body to work properly. Because one can consume water through drinking other beverages or eating foods like lettuce, tomatoes, oranges and melons, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does...
- Halloween Candy Hikes Risk Of Cavities, Not Just From More Sugar, But From More Frequent Eating Of It; Here Are Tooth-friendly Tips
Photo from EnviroDad.comHalloween candy can rot your teeth. At Halloween, the issue is not just sugar, it's how often you eat it. Often, kids bring enough candy home from trick-or-treating to last a lifetime, but then eat the candy in a few days....
- Sick Of All The Bad Facts About Kentucky's Health? Here's Encouraging News About Oral Health And Drug Treatment
Despite the plethora of bad news about Kentucky's poor health status, there are many positive initiatives for Kentucky's oral health and substance abuse treatment, which were stories buried under health news headlines about Medicaid expansion...
- Brushing Teeth Twice A Day, Two Minutes At A Time, Is The Way To Prevent Cavities, A New Campaign Advises
Kids should brush their teeth twice a day for two whole minutes at a time, a new public-service campaign urges. The ?Kids? Healthy Mouths? campaign includes TV spots, print ads, a website, social media messages and other materials, reports Jennifer LaRue...
- Promising Tooth Varnish That Prevents Tooth Decay Will Be Applied To 25,000 Students In 16 Kentucky Appalachian Counties
Using an innovative fluoride technique, about 25,000 children in 16 Appalachian Kentucky counties will receive preventive dental care at school, under a $1.25 million pilot project announced by Gov. Steve Beshear yesterday. The counties are Bell, Breathitt,...