YOUR DENTAL HEALTH Water Fluoridation By Dr. Jesh There are few topics in dentistry more divisive to the general public than that of water faoridation. Canada remains as one of the countries with the highest number of communities Dr. Jesh Tse with water fluoridation in effect. British Columbia bowever, has very few communities remaining that still participate in water Boridation, Kelowna having stopped this practice since 1996, Although the peos and cons of water fluoridation are still being debated so this day, Ibelieve only a very small percentage of the population are actually know very much about either side of the debate. This article is meant to help llaminate the bealth bencfits so that you, as a reader, can get a better feel for why most densists continue to encourage the usage of faoride for the improvement of cral health Fluorides are a group of naturally occurring compounds that contain the clement fluorine. They can be found in water and soil at varying levels. Inmerest in fluoride began in the carly 1900's when a dentist, Dr. Frederick McKay noticed there was an increased prevalence in eeth that showed a mottling or staining of the enamel of the toeth. What was interesting about these teeth, bowever, was the absence of tooth decay. Clearly something that was shared by these people was affecting the presentation of their tceth and increasing the resistance of these teeth to cavities. With further study, it was found that the source of this was the drinking water and that oride was the variable. Fluoride acts by binding to the mineral structure of the tooth to make it more resistant to acid breakdown, while eahancing remincralization of enamel once docay has started. Recently, It has also been discovered that it reduces the ability of decay causing bacteria to adhcre to the surface of the tooth, thercby creating anoher method of minimizing cavities .. In the 1940s, Dr H Trendley Dean found that the ideal amount of fluoride was one part per million parts of water (10 ppm). This concentration was found to result in healthy, atractive teeth lacking the moling and staining (now known as fluorosis staining) while still having one third as many cavities as might oherwise be expocted. Gradually, more communities in the US and Canada began to adopt water luoridation in order to control the incidence of tooth decay, leading the CDC (Center for Discase Control and Prevention) to consider water aoridation as one of the greatest achievements in public health in the 20th century So if Flucride has boen shown to be so beneficial, what is the controversy? One that I hear ofhen at the dental office is that flooride is also used as a rat poison. While it may soem incoceceivable that we would actively coetaminate our water supply with something used to kill rodents, it needs to be pointed out that this is a mater of concentration. In large dosages, many substances can be found to be toxic so people, even something as benign as pure water. In the trace amounts that are present in uoridated water, however, there have been no credible studies showing an association between fluoridated water and toxicity or an increasod risk of cancer The main argument against water fhooridation, however, is one that 1 can agree with. Although I am comvinced of the safety and efficacy of fluoride as an aid in the prevention of dental decay, fluceidating the dinking water removes the choice of the individual from the equation. As well, with the sopical usage of fluoride in soothpastes and dental applications, the overall benefit of water flucridation is reduced As we live in an area where water uoridation is not administered, these two seurces remain the best methods of obtaining this beneficial ingredient. AURA Call: 778-754-AURA (2872) DENTAL CLINIC DR. JESH TsE, DOS ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS- GENERAL & FAMILY DENTISTRY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY SEDATION OPTIONS AVAILABLE FAMILY ORIENTED CARE EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS CALL: 778-754-AURA (2872) #305. 2205 LOUIE DRIVE. WESST KELOWNA. BC VAT 3C3 www.WESTKELOWNADENTAL.CA YOUR DENTAL HEALTH Water Fluoridation By Dr. Jesh There are few topics in dentistry more divisive to the general public than that of water faoridation. Canada remains as one of the countries with the highest number of communities Dr. Jesh Tse with water fluoridation in effect. British Columbia bowever, has very few communities remaining that still participate in water Boridation, Kelowna having stopped this practice since 1996, Although the peos and cons of water fluoridation are still being debated so this day, Ibelieve only a very small percentage of the population are actually know very much about either side of the debate. This article is meant to help llaminate the bealth bencfits so that you, as a reader, can get a better feel for why most densists continue to encourage the usage of faoride for the improvement of cral health Fluorides are a group of naturally occurring compounds that contain the clement fluorine. They can be found in water and soil at varying levels. Inmerest in fluoride began in the carly 1900's when a dentist, Dr. Frederick McKay noticed there was an increased prevalence in eeth that showed a mottling or staining of the enamel of the toeth. What was interesting about these teeth, bowever, was the absence of tooth decay. Clearly something that was shared by these people was affecting the presentation of their tceth and increasing the resistance of these teeth to cavities. With further study, it was found that the source of this was the drinking water and that oride was the variable. Fluoride acts by binding to the mineral structure of the tooth to make it more resistant to acid breakdown, while eahancing remincralization of enamel once docay has started. Recently, It has also been discovered that it reduces the ability of decay causing bacteria to adhcre to the surface of the tooth, thercby creating anoher method of minimizing cavities .. In the 1940s, Dr H Trendley Dean found that the ideal amount of fluoride was one part per million parts of water (10 ppm). This concentration was found to result in healthy, atractive teeth lacking the moling and staining (now known as fluorosis staining) while still having one third as many cavities as might oherwise be expocted. Gradually, more communities in the US and Canada began to adopt water luoridation in order to control the incidence of tooth decay, leading the CDC (Center for Discase Control and Prevention) to consider water aoridation as one of the greatest achievements in public health in the 20th century So if Flucride has boen shown to be so beneficial, what is the controversy? One that I hear ofhen at the dental office is that flooride is also used as a rat poison. While it may soem incoceceivable that we would actively coetaminate our water supply with something used to kill rodents, it needs to be pointed out that this is a mater of concentration. In large dosages, many substances can be found to be toxic so people, even something as benign as pure water. In the trace amounts that are present in uoridated water, however, there have been no credible studies showing an association between fluoridated water and toxicity or an increasod risk of cancer The main argument against water fhooridation, however, is one that 1 can agree with. Although I am comvinced of the safety and efficacy of fluoride as an aid in the prevention of dental decay, fluceidating the dinking water removes the choice of the individual from the equation. As well, with the sopical usage of fluoride in soothpastes and dental applications, the overall benefit of water flucridation is reduced As we live in an area where water uoridation is not administered, these two seurces remain the best methods of obtaining this beneficial ingredient. AURA Call: 778-754-AURA (2872) DENTAL CLINIC DR. JESH TsE, DOS ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS- GENERAL & FAMILY DENTISTRY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY SEDATION OPTIONS AVAILABLE FAMILY ORIENTED CARE EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS CALL: 778-754-AURA (2872) #305. 2205 LOUIE DRIVE. WESST KELOWNA. BC VAT 3C3 www.WESTKELOWNADENTAL.CA