Weighing the pros and cons of water fluoridation

On May 21, voters will have the opportunity to approve or reject addition of fluoride to the general supply of water in Portland.

This decision has been made due to the rising problem of tooth decay in adults and children alike, especially those in the low-income or minority families.

If passed, public water fluoridation would begin in March 2014.

According to portlandoregon.gov, “No one should be able to taste the difference if fluoride is added to the water,” they continue by saying, “filters are available for home use but are relatively expensive.” There is also apparently no smell.

The facts are available for all Portland voters who are interested in this question: will I vote for water fluoridation and how will I vote?

My easiest answer to you would be no. I won’t participate in the voting process for this particular case. Quite simply, I don’t care if my water has fluoride in it and I’m fine if the vote goes either way.

That being said, I understand that there will be some people on both sides of the argument. One side will argue that the government doesn’t have the right to give us ‘treatment’, another will argue the case of dental fluorosis, and the other side will say that it’s a preventative measure to help the health and well being of all of us.

Here’s my bottom line: I’m doing just fine. I understand we live in a different time and a different world these days, but what happened to drinking water out of the hose? Are we really caught up in this so much where we have to control even the smallest of details?

When I was a kid, you could eat dirt, drink from the garden hose, and share cups or bottles with the kid next to you. Now, granted, I understand why we’ve stopped sharing lip balm, water bottles, and toothbrushes, but people are starting to get uptight about a minuscule amount of minerals in their water.

To take this a step further, here are a few examples of bottled waters that can contain minerals but are not federally required to state the amount of fluoride in their water: Arrowhead, Colorado Crystal, Crystal Springs, Dannon, Dasani, Mountain Valley Spring

That’s just to name a few. You can find more brands on this site:  mineralwaters.org. The irony behind this is that people typically head for the bottled water because they want a healthier option!

Now, again, I can’t speak for our readers, but personally I don’t mind how this vote goes and could care less if my water begins carrying a fraction of fluoride in it to maybe help my future children and their possible tooth decay.

Vote how you may, take your stand, but I better not see you complaining about the law passing and proceeding to brush your teeth using a bottle of Mountain Valley Spring.

Advocate Staff