Fluoride has been shown over the years to reduce tooth decay rates, and the best across-the-board way for people to get that is through the water system.
Commissioners of Soddy-Daisy’s water treatment system voted last Tuesday to stop adding fluoride to their water supply.
The vote was 6-1, with Commissioner Carlos Wilson casting the only vote in favor of fluoride.
The vote came after questions from several residents about fluoride’s effectiveness and others claiming it is a health risk.
An online petition being circulated by a group of anti-fluoride residents calling themselves the Soddy Daisy Citizens Against Water Fluoridation claims the additive “causes cancer, impairs bone strength, impairs IQ, impairs kidneys, impairs thyroid, recedes gums, depresses heart, depresses cell growth and increases infertility.”
On the other side, local dentists argued that fluoride is a proven method for fighting tooth decay and is safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called the fluoridation of a majority of the nation’s water supply one of the 10 greatest public health successes of the 20th Century, and the National Cancer Institute agreed that “no credible evidence supports an association between fluoridation and any of these conditions.”
“I’m excited and thrilled by the decision,” said Chiesa Smith, one of several local residents who told the board they believe fluoride is a health hazard.
With the vote, the North West Utility District, which supplies water to about 7,500 residents of Soddy-Daisy and several neighboring communities, becomes the first water system in the state’s four largest counties to stop adding fluoride to its water. About 54 percent of Tennessee water systems currently fluoridate their water.
North West spends about $20,000 annually for fluoride, said water system general manager David Collett. The water system is planning a $9 million expansion and its components will be more expensive if fluoride is added to the water, Collett said.
Dentist Dr. Brian Schenck, head of the Chattanooga Area Dental Society, said after the vote he was disappointed.
If fluoride is no longer in the water supply, “hopefully a good number of people will be able to supplement their intake of fluoride in other ways,” he said.
Several of the commissioners who voted to drop fluoride said the ability of local residents to protect their teeth by using toothpaste or mouthwash that contains fluoride was a factor in their decision.
“I did my research and learned 95 percent of toothpaste and a substantial percentage of mouthwash has fluoride added,” said Commissioner Bill McGriff, who is also Hamilton County auditor. “There are other ways to get fluoride without requiring everyone to get it.”
Commission Chairwoman Phyllis Marr agreed.
“Water is not the only place to get fluoride for children,” she said.
“The problem is, some children in the community would most likely miss out if the parents were making the decision to get the fluoride elsewhere,” Schenck said. “A tooth cavity cannot be ignored. It would be advantageous to prevent this rather than have to treat it. You’d have much less lost time at work or time at school, and less expense.”
Wilson, who cast the lone vote in favor of fluoride, said simply that he thought fluoride “is a good thing and not a bad thing.”
The board’s decision went into effect almost immediately, with no more fluoride being added to the water supply.
Contact Steve Johnson at sjohnson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673.