Fluoridated water important to children's dental health

TO THE EDITOR:

It was my good fortune to serve Burke County as a Public Health Dental Hygienist with the N.C. Oral Health Section/DHHS for over 30 years.

I provided preventive, educational and assessment services for children in the Burke County Public Schools and to others that impacted their lives. Municipal water fluoridation is important! Fluoride is the “silver bullet” for teeth.

The fluoride ion strengthens tooth enamel to make it more resistant to tooth decay. It occurs in all water sources and is present in the soil and in foods like tea and seafood.

Municipal water fluoridation is simply the controlled addition of a fluoride compound to a public water supply to achieve an optimal concentration for prevention of cavities.

At the recommended amount of 0.7mg/L, which is equal to about one drop fluoride to a bathtub full of water, fluoride is safe, effective and saves money, compared to the high cost of dental treatment.

In 1979, all 14 of our elementary schools received municipal water except for two, Chesterfield and George Hildebrand. It was fortunate that most of the schools branched off highway 70 which offered them easy access to country water lines.

George Hildebrand, being the most rural, had its own school water fluoridator. The principal, Dennis Sipe, was most proud of this benefit for his rural students.

Little Chesterfield didn’t qualify for a fluoridator and stood alone as the only non-fluoridated elementary school in Burke County. After conducting the dental screening at Chesterfield, I referred 49% of the Kg-6th graders for dental care, the largest percentage in the county.

Their principal, the late Donald Lovelace, was upset.

Fast forward until today. All elementary schools now receive decay prevention in drinking municipal fluoridated water.

Child dental needs continue to exist in Burke County, but with the combined efforts of our educators, parents, dental/medical professionals, and concerned citizens, our dental condition has improved. However, we are still above our state’s average in children having tooth decay.

I’ve seen first-hand the benefits that fluoridation has had on the health of our schoolchildren as well as the negative effects that decayed teeth have on their ability to learn.

We can’t go backwards eliminating a longstanding, evidence-based preventive practice.

Please continue to fluoridate water in Burke County. Repair and/or replace whatever is needed to protect the teeth of our children.

A healthy smile is one of our greatest assets.

NANCY FERGUSON BROWN

Retired, RDH