Dentists plead to restore water fluoride

Despite pleas from dentists to restore fluoride to the water supply in Moncton, N.B., at least one city councillor says he’ll vote against it when council meets to make a decision next week.

Moncton ended fluoride use in 2011, and local dentist Suzanne Drapeau-McNally says she has seen a dramatic increase in tooth decay among young children ever since.

“Children who previously had no cavities, all of a sudden come in and have a higher number of decays,” Drapeau-McNally said.

Moncton city council was supposed to make a decision this spring, but Coun. Shawn Crossman asked that the decision be delayed until Sept. 18 to gather more information.

Crossman said he spent the last seven months reading studies and listening to the public, and hasn’t seen any evidence to prove that fluoride prevents tooth decay.

“There’s nothing there that says fluoride is stopping tooth decay, absolutely nothing,” he said.

“There’s a much bigger picture here. Sugar is a factor, what do our diets look like, what is the person’s overall health? There are other factors that contribute. Fluoride is not going to solve everybody’s problems.”

Crossman said in fact he has seen information that fluoride can be harmful to very young children.

Drapeau-McNally said fluoride is a natural element that protects tooth enamel against the acids that cause tooth decay, and she’s seen no studies to show negative impact of 0.7 parts per million of fluoride in public water supplies.