Evening star., 1952-02-28
Public Health Experts
Indorse FIuoridaiion
As Aid Against Decay
Deny II viii cuuse
Any OBJECTIONABLE
Tooth DiScoIorution
By jones {. Roper

BxpertB from the Public Health
Service, fighting Of hostile cues.
tioning, told 0 House committee
today that huoridation OF drink
Ing water will reduce tooth decay
without causing Objectionable"
dlacoloration Of teeth.
Dr, u. Trendley Dean, director
Of the National Institute for Dem
tal Research, said huoridation OF
water 90 planned In the District
would cause slight fieekA on the
rear teeth OF up 10 10 per cent Of
Washington children, but that this
would not DO objectionable 30.
eiaily.
For more than two hours, Or.
Dean and his health service asse.
oiAtes testified IN bits and pieces
amid hostile questioning from
Vincent X. Kleinseld, committee
counsel, and questions from Repre-.
sentative Miller. Republican, AZ
Nebraska, an opponent OF fiuoridR.
tion,
Experts Differ.
Todays testimony was the latest
In O bewildering series given dur.
Ing the past two weeks by expert
witnesses both pro and con. The
experts have differed sharply on
whether fiuorides should be AIDED
to the water supply.
The committee, special group
set UP to survey chemicals In food.
Is studying whether fiuoride in
drinking water harm certain per-
sons even though 1t can cut tooth
decay. as the American Dental
Association stated today, up to-
two-thirds among young children.
widespread fiuoridation Of wa
ter was recommended by DR.. Dean
and the other Public Health Serv-
Ice withesses-Dr. Francis A.
Arnold. jr., Isadore Zipkin and
Assistant Surgeon General Bruce
Forsyth.
Representative Miller set the
tone Of the session early when heI
interrupted DR.. Forsyth. who was
relating statistics to accuse him
Of putting useless silly in
formation In the record"
At another point Representa-
tive Miller stated that the Wis
consin Department Of Agricul-
ture had advised farmers against
feeding fiuorides to sows, He
added:
Maybe we are being more care
full with hogs than with humans.
I don't know what effects this
fiuoride has on pregnant women.
The dental association state.
ment came from Dr.. ]. Roy Doty
former research biochemist and
now secretary Of the association.
Mottllng Expected.
"The association Is sincerely
convinced that no pathological
conditions will result from proper
iuoridation." Dr.. Doty said, In
testimony prepared for delivery
before the committee.
Or. Doty said fiuorides In the
strength recommended may cause
m unobjectionable form OF tooth
mottling "tn q small percentage Of
children" He clearly felt that
The decay.preventing effect OF
liuorides far outweighs this con-
Sideration.
He said that dental scientists
safely anticipate O reduction Of
10 TO 90 per cent In the number
" cavities ordinarily expected In
given age group. II that group
1as been drinking fuoridated
vater."
Dr. Doty recommended further
ontrolled study Of the effects Of
luoride ana promised that ANY
eported effect viii receive atten.
ion."
The committee decided 10 hear
estitn0ny from representatives Of
he Association Of state and Ter
ltefiAi Health ofieers. The e0Ins
aittee also invited The American
fedleai Association and the Amer
san Public Health Association 20
end witnesses, II they wish.
FeF IleNt Thursday, the commit
10 arranged 10 hear DF, Kenneth
faKeV, chairman OF q National
lsseaFeh Council Committee that
eeeEnEaeAdad AueFidatieA,