How did San Antonio get into fluoridation? How can we get rid of this addition to our water? (Austin: buying, school)

[local2sa]

I am an 80's era child born and raised here in San Antonio. Never had cavities. My 4 year old son however has pits in his molars from excessive fluoridation, reported by his dentist, and therefore these pits allowed bacteria to settle in and produce cavities! Six molar crowns needed to repair the condition. My son only drinks water, tap water that is, and no sodas or juices. Fluorosis is the condition here which is supposed to be purely cosmetic. Well this cosmetic condition lead to my sons molar cavities. Go figure!

I believe San Antonio Water has natural fluoride so why add more. I used to love tap water as a child and now the water taste horrible.

[SATX56]

I think our once great tasting water now tastes like what you'd expect from a latrine. Fluoride is abundantly available in many forms for those who wish to supplement natural sources. How? Run an issue past morons enough and eventually they'll accept it. Now we're stuck with nasty tasting water or buying bottled crap from God knows where.

[JAustinDDS]

The point of water fluoridation is to target populations who don't have the access to care that more wealthy residents have. Water fluoridation is an absolute slam dunk from a scientific perspective in regards to prevention of dental decay. Its probably one of the most effective social health programs that man kind has ever endeavored. That claim is backed up by the CDC. There has never been any conclusive scientific data that shows that anyone can actually taste a difference in water with sodium fluoride and without. Plenty of studies have been done on this and the results are always no different than random chance in identifying fluoridated water by taste.

The fluoride in San Antonio's municipal water system is not enough to cause fluorosis by itself. And even if it were, teeth with fluorosis are generally EXTREMELY resistant to decay. The patients I see with fluorosis in my practice have ugly teeth. Ugly teeth with no cavities or fillings. Its an extreme trade off, but generally it makes fluorosis sufferers have a very low caries risk. What your son has is most like hypomaturized teeth which has nothing to do with fluoride and actually is linked to high acidic environments intraorally during tooth development.

For all the fluoride haters...watch this short 3 minute video. Everything here has legitimate science from academic institutions with randomized controlled trials to back it up. No pseudo-science sources. Just honest to god scientific fact about fluoride.

inFact: All About Fluoridation - YouTube

[SATX56]

There are endless videos and "facts" out there for both sides of this issue. Matters not as it's still available to all, even those with no income through various programs. No need to put it in something as basic and essential for life as our water supply!

[Torpedos]

Someone makes money out of putting it in the water. It is always about money. Not about health.

[local2sa]

Originally Posted by Torpedos

Someone makes money out of putting it in the water. It is always about money. Not about health.

So we need to figure out which council member was lobbied for by the company who fills the fluoride tanks. I have some time to research into this starting with City Council Ed Garza. See where the $$$ flows.

[staunchcharacter]

This argument again? It's like watching badly educated ping-pong.

Coming from fluoridated water growing up and not having had one cavity in my life, I owe a lot of that to as much. It works. Studies prove that. End of story.

[Torpedos]

Originally Posted by local2sa

So we need to figure out which council member was lobbied for by the company who fills the fluoride tanks. I have some time to research into this starting with City Council Ed Garza. See where the $$$ flows.

This is beyond the little council members. they cannot do anything about it. it is like school lunches, it is not about health, it Is about who got the contract. and I assure you that those that got the large federal contracts have some good friends in political arenas. same with anything else.
I don't know much about fluoride, only what I read on the back of my toothpaste. and it says if I swallow more than what is used to brush is swallowed, call poison control or get medical attention". but they expect people to drink the stuff.

[Rustybolt]

I can't believe this still comes up as an issue when so much scientific evidence supports it along with the testimonials of dentists on what they see in their practices. I've had fluoridated water since a young child growing up in Austin and now in my 50s I have had a grand total of one cavity. Dentists comment on the health of my teeth for my age. Fluoridation isn't some subversive Dr. Strangelove communist plot to sap and impurify our precious bodily fluids!

[Rustybolt]

Originally Posted by Torpedos

I don't know much about fluoride

Agreed