COLOMBUS, Ohio — A group of Ohio Republican lawmakers are trying to ban state and public water systems from the addition of fluoride to prevent tooth decay and cavities.
The Buckeye State is known for its water – and the advantages that dentist Dr. Matthew Messina sees from that.
“We’re part of that, with modern dentistry and public health coming from fluoride, that’s a huge increase,” Messina said.
Fluoride, which naturally occurs in the water, is a mineral that has long been shown to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities and cavities. As a serving dentist for four years explains, most public water systems add fluoride.
“It’s been hailed as one of the best public health measures of the last century, because really, very low cost and very low effort, the great benefits this creates for the community are incredible,” he said.
He has worked in communities that do not have fluoride, he said, and the difference between urban children and rural children who had no fluorination of public water was also day and night.
“We had the opportunity to see the rot of the children’s ramping teeth,” he said. “It was like going back to the dark ages, so I really hope that I won’t come back there again.”
Just like vaccines, fluoride has always been around for decades. In recent years, there have been campaigns to push back minerals underwater.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not a doctor, but he claims that minerals are toxic.
“Fluoride is industrial waste,” he wrote in X.
This effort drifted down into Ohio.
State Rep. Levi Dean (R-xenia) proposed House Bill 182.
“It’s just saying that individuals can choose whether or not they want to take it. It’s not being forced on them,” Dean told me.
Under current law, water systems to fluorinate water require water systems when natural content is less than 0.8 milligrams per liter.
“It’s not for health reasons, or even for individual freedom reasons, that’s not what local government wants to push this into drinking water, just for some people,” he said.
Dean and his GOP co-hosts want to ban this requirement. He claimed that fluoride was bad for you. I asked him where he got this idea, as dozens of research papers disagree for decades.
He cited a recent research study share that fluoride may be linked to a decline in IQ in children.
A study published in January by Jama Pediatrics conducted a review and meta-analysis of whether fluoride exposure was associated with children’s IQ scores.
The authors found that there was a link between slightly lower IQs in children exposed to minerals.
However, Messina explained that the research article is out of context.
“It will enable research from some of the world where naturally occurring fluoride levels are much higher than most in the US and far higher than the target levels we set,” the dentist said.
Looking at the paper, the authors acknowledged that most of the research they saw was considered “very biased.”
Links were not clear when fluoride in water was below 1.5 mg/L. As mentioned before, Ohio has a 0.8 mg/L cap.
“There is disagreement now about where it starts, how and how it is to concentrate, but that’s why I think it’s up to the individual to choose the level of their fluoride engagement,” Dean said.
Lawmakers argued that if people really want fluoride, they could buy toothpaste, tablets or drops.
“I’m not arguing about the fact that it could be beneficial for some people due to dental health,” he said. “We are arguing for the fact that we should take it.
Toothpaste contains much more fluoride than water, so according to the CDC, it is said to spit it out.
Republicans continued to say this has Ohio’s choice, as he does, as he does.
“What concerns do Ohio have in mind as they consider removing fluoride from all public water?” asked Messina.
“Well, if Ohio did that, we’d go back in time,” he replied. “We know the beneficial and preventative part of the toolkit and we really have one of the best weapons left to continue moving forward without it.”
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-LIMA) appeared interested in the proposal as he admitted he “didn’t know” when asked if the state should keep fluoride in public water.
“Fluoride naturally occurs in the water, and I found it this week,” he said. “They started adding that.”
He said people have been “dismissed” over the past few years.
“Now there seems to be a science that says there’s too much fluoride with the addition of fluoride, but it’s a bad thing for people,” he said. “I’m not a scientist. I’m not a chemist… we’re going to litigate that question… here in Congress for the next few months. I don’t know the answer to your question.”
House minority leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) was not excited to hear about the bill because of the background to public health.
“I have full support for fluoride underwater,” she said.
I asked her if she saw this as an effort to privatize water.
“I think this is a fundamental human right,” she continued. “I think the expectation of every household in this country is that you have access to your household’s clean tap water.”
Gov. Mike DeWine, who routinely opposes non-doctoral degrees making health decisions, has yet to comment on the bill.
Knowing the governor does not depart from the realm of veto. He consistently states that he has helped science, vaccines, best practices for doctors to maintain gender, tobacco prevention for children, and stop medical misinformation.
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