Evening star., 1952-03-14
Fiuoridotion

Fiuori00tl0n
An editorial III The Star Of March .
on fluoridation asks: ''What about cap
tive patients. who must drink medi-
Gated water because somebody says it
will help their teeth?'
That should read: what about cap-
tive patients who must drink medi-
Gated water because somebody says it
will help the teeth Of somebody else?"
AS ] understand it. nobody claims
that water containing q fiuoride will
help the teeth Of any except children
Of certain age. a minor fraction OF
the population.
r. B. Bristow. !
In various parts of the world. including
our own United States, the water sup
ply as found In nature contains more
than twice the quantity of fluorine COM
pounds advocated by proponents Of fiu-
oridation. In fact, the present proposal
is an outgrowth of research which was
begun to find the factor responsible for
the considerable variation in dental
health in different areas.
During tests extending back more than
ten years it was proven that water
supply which has had its fluorine def
cheney corrected by the controlled addi-
ton of artificial huorides was capable
of reducing the rate Of formation Of
cavities as effectively as a water supply
whose high fiuorine content was due
to natural causes.
Regarding the disagreement among
the experts on the harmfulness of adding
huorine compounds to drinking water:
experts are still people, and draw con-
cllsions from facts by human processes.
Of reason, not with machines. The Signi-s
ficant fact about the experts testimony
on this problem is the small number
opposed to it, in comparison to the
larger number indorsing it.
am In favor Of fiuoridation.
Perry F. Crabill, jr.
AS heavy taxpayer in the District,
] protest the use Of our money In ex-
perimenting with the water supply.
If we are so poor we cannot make
decent provision for the unfortunate
children who must have shelter, we
surely do not have money to spare for
this wholesale tooth treatment Of which
many Of our best dentists do not ap-
prove.
Under these conditions we here who
viii have to pay for this dosing of our
water supply, apparently with or
without our consent, surely should have
some opportunity to air our views, and
should the plan be really seriously cen
templated. poll should be taken and
the result settle the matter.
b. M. A.
The promoters Of fiuoridation, In
cluding practicing dentists who appar-
emily are not keeping abreast Of the
recent literature dealing with fluoride
pharmacology. should take OF their
roSe-colored glasses and take o dim
view Of the proposition to douse public
drinking water with o poison that in
various compounds is the chief con-
stituent for laundry bleaches, for coagu-
lating rubber, for disinfecting hides, as
fixer In dye works, and as an in
gredient Of insect powders, wood stains
and other industrial products.
It Is not common knowledge that
fluoride already exists In many ordi-
nary foods like whole wheat, white
bread, liver. chicken. oysters, honey,
dairy products, etc. But Id all these
cases fiuoride is In such, combination
with soluble mineral substances that
there is a control of It's effects after
ingestion In the human system. There
Is no known control Of free fiuoride
when dumped into common water.
A recent publication by the Loyola
University School Of Dentistry points