U.S. Public Health Service Backs Water Fluoridation; Tells Results Of Survey
By A. ROBERT SMITH
N.w-Ri.w Corr.tpend.nt
WASHINGTON Millions o
Americans have been drinking flu
oridated water for man yeara,
starling long before medical re
search discovered that fluorida
tion in the proper degree greatly
reduces tooth decay.
And virtually every American
consumes varying quantities of flu
oride every day at the dinner table
in the foods he eats, whether it be
a meal of hotdogs or steak. In both
cases, it is part of the natural or-
f
-1 ktt hit
der, for fluoride is a vital element
in man's daily diet.
These observations are made by
top officials of the U.S. Public
Heath iervtce when asked for their
views on the controversial question
of adding fluoride to drinking wa
ter to cut down dental diseases.
Their point is that virtually ev
eryone today has quantities of flu
oride in his diet, and that control
ling me quantity o nuoriae in
drinking water does not introduce
any new element into the average
person's digestive system.
The Public Health Service
strongly favors fluoridation of wa
ter, for the results it has found
over the past decade of testing and
research are expressed concisely
by Dr. Thomas L, Hagan, chief of
its division of dental public health:
Extensive scientific evidence
has Droved that water fluoridation
is effective in reducing tooth de
cay and causes no Dad elicits on
health. Tests of legality nave dem
onstrated that the procedure is not
an infringement of individual lib
erty. Furthermore, water fluorida
tion is tne most economic aecay
preventive available today.
THi WISTMOOK-Modd 2243. Royal -r
chaittt with 1 6,500 veils of picture powor.
In erolntd Mahogany color Modal Y2263R.
la (rootod Blond Oak color Model Y2263E.
$1)91
0 A
A Week
SPECIAL ZENITH FEATURES I
TOP TUNING SPOTLITE DIAL
EASY OUT FACE PLATE GLASS
ROYAL Y" CHASSIS
"FRINGE LOCK" CIRCUIT
. ROSEBURG 648 S.E. Rose, Dial 3-SS74
SUTHERLIN West Centra., Phone 2988
Ambulance Closes
Down; County
Uses Makeshift
EUGENE tm Police and fire
agencies hastily set up emergency
ambulance service here Friday
morning when the area s three
private ambulance companies
closed down.
Cecil Hunt, owner of the Eu
gene, Springfield and Valley am
bulance companies, notified state
police shortly after S a. m. he was
suspending operations because of
an impending sheriff's sale of his
properties.
Circuit Judge A. T. Goodwin
Thursday, afternoon signed a court
order for a sheriffs sale June 11
of Hunt's ambulance properties to
fulfill a divorce settlement.
The Eugene Fire Department
fitted out its disaster wagon with
cots for ambulance calls, the
sheriff's office pressed a Veter
ans' Service ambulance into pub
lic service, and the Sjpringiield
Fire Department borrowed an
ambulance from Cottage Grove.
Lane County Coroner Fred Buell
otfcred the use of one of his
hearses fitted with a fire depart
ment cot for emergency use.
State police said some of ' their
patrol cars ' were fitted with
stretchers and extra first aid
equipment.
One emergency run was made
Friday morning by a private sta
tion wagon when a man collapsed
from a heart attack.
A survey by the Health Service
shows that about L200 communities
in the U.S. have drinking water
that is naturally endowed with just
about the right amount of fluoride
to arrest tooth decay. Nature is
taking care of some 4,000,000 peo
ple here.
Then there are about 80,000,000
people in many other communities
whose drinking water has some na
tural fluoride but less than the
recommended amount.
In the past decade, about 1 .000
communities have adopted control
led fluoridation of their municipal
water supply, adding millions more
to the total population now obtain
ing fluoridated water.
In some of these cities which
have added fluoride, tests have
been run to determine the effect
on dental disease. In Grand Rap
ids, Mich,, results showed that be
fore fluoridation the average 16-year-old
child had 14 teeth either
decayed, filled or extracted; but
after fluoridation had been in ef
fect nine years, tooth disease de
clined in children of alt ages, and
the average 16-year-old had 10
teeth which had required dental
attention.
The Public Health Service is
interested in fluoridation because
it believes that probably no other
disease affects to large a propor
tion of the U.S public as does den
tal disease, its officials recall that
21 per cent of the boys rejected
from military service during World
War II were turned down because
of bad teeth.
"In 1SS3 the American oeoole
spent about $1,S billion for dental
care, or about one-sixth of the to
tal expenditure for personal health
services in the nation," explained
Dr. John W. Kmrtson, chief dental
officer of the Public Health Serv
ice.
"This sum, an all-time high in
dental expenditures, is but a frac
tion of the estimated amount need
ed to provide adequate care for
the American people," he said.
"Even if there were an unlimited
amount of money available for den
tal care, there are simply not
enough dentists to furnish the re-:
quired volume of services. Thus,
there is little possibility that the
nation's dental health problem can
be solved in the near future solely-
ty increasing the correction ol ex
isting defects,"
Dr. Kautson said the Health:
Service, charged by Congress with
responsibility for research into
health problems, has covered the
field in trying to lick dental trou
bleseven to experimenting with
dental assistants for dentists who
have multiBle chain which "has
enabled dentists to increase their
productivity and to treat more
people. -
The Health Service also does re
search on diseases of the gums and
bones, and it works with state and
local health agencies to encourage
periodic dental examinations, to
apply proper methods of dental
care and to promote desirable diet
ary habits.
Fluoridation, then, is just one
part "of a diversified and balanced
approach to meeting our total den
tal health needs," said Dr. Knut
son. "It has met all the tests. It
was studied ever a king period of
time, both by research workers in
the Public Health Service and bv
other investigators. It was subject
ed to interivg field testing for safe
ty ana practicability. Its effects
were demonstrated, checked and
recheeked. Practical methods for
its application were worked out and
perfected in considerable detail.
And it finally became part of the
public health armamentarium,
along with other preventive tech
niques." Much as the Health Service fa
vors fluoridation of drinking wa
ter, it does not try to dictate what
any community should do when
this question is raised,
"As with all public health pro
cedures," explained Dr. Knutson,
"the decision on fluoridation rests
and, in our opinion, should contin
ue to rest with the local commu
nity. In public health work, it
could not be otherwise, nor would
we wish it to be otherwise. We be
lieve there is no justification for
any federal intervention into local
health matters. We feel certain
that in fluoridation as in other
health matters, the combination of
professional health leadership and
enlightened citizen interest will in
sure the decision that will enable
eommiuuuet to go forward in
health.
"We cannot accept the premise
that fluoridation ol public water
supplies roiwtitutes a hazard to
publie health. On the contrary, we
believe that Its safety bas been
clearly established and that its po
tential for improving dental health
warrants the serious consideration
of all communities concerned wrtb
oroeressive health measures.
"We believe, however," conclud
ed the government's chief dental
officer, "that the determination
should be left for each community
to oeewe tor useu.
Cameras Portraits
"W A(H NEVER TOO
BUSY TO HELP YOU"
PHOTO LAB
ffl S. t. Jatktm
Km OR 1-7091
yum
atv
Man,, May 21, 195$ The Naws-krir, Rotebuff , Ore. 1
Myrtf Creek's Annual
Fall Festival Dated
Myrtle Creek's annual Fall Festi
val, sponsored by the Chamber
of Commerce, will be held Ibis
year on Aug, 10-11, according
to We Myrtle Creek Had.
The chamber also has plans tor
winging the Redmond reindeer to
the eity again next Christmas sea
son. That event will be Dec. Z2.
PATIOW'Zf NFWVKIViraV
AOVEHTISIM
UXX SHIER
L
end
up
Per single roll
L
u A
Largest
selection in M
Oregon
E
R
FULLER
PAINTS
Custom made Draperies
Traverse Rods
We give S-H Green Stamps
f!J valuable
lBETTY CROCKER
ISjW COUPON
tfr sitvuwar win
fll wy bs of lam's
Fttttif UffftU C -1.-.J
SureChick for a double bonu.t
Gt t 5-vsfu ttntf Cocke Onmn enow
w,j -w-io. dqj. unsm mmm wm -
- wsmr mssm s&m
r;."5 s ... . . w .
., in nmrf U on crtot MWMr tpMtttg
m ntw hmtiu4 SimOftfe Com, in
nwtfWe shtoih.
)
Si- -v
Douglas County Flour Mill
PINi STRUT
8ETW1IN OAK and CASS
mom OR 2-2341 . ROSEBURG
Court Asked If Graham
Should Die Sans Review
DENVER W For the first time
in Colorado history, the. State
Supreme Court has been asked to
decide if a convicted murderer
should be allowed to die without
review of his conviction.
The unprecedented petition was
itiea oy court-appointed lawyers
for John Gilbert Graham.
Ip I jl ' ll I '
rfcs?)
Aluminum Sliding Windows
FOR A FULL VIEW WITH, FULL VENTILATION!
Panoromic View
Pane
m
m
Bolhroom
Window
Corner
Window
SIZES FOR mi H0Q.M
Avoilobl in oli fizit from
J'2-J'tlorO-.4JH"
NEVER NEED PAINTING!
ALWAYS OPEN SMOOTHLY!
Precision monufoeturad, highest qualify alumi
num windows to brighten and beautify your
living room, kitchen, bedroom or bath. Fully
waalherjtripped on off four sides. Fully gland
with Neoprene glaring strip to hold gloss
tightly without rneiiy putty. Easily removed from
the insiofa for washing. Equipped with nylon bot
tom rollers for smooth, quiet operation year
after year. See ihem now at Words!
Easy to Install in Your Home.
Easy to Remove froiji the Inside.
Easy to Slide Them Open and Shut.
ROSEBURG, OREGON PHONE OR 3-5553
m
ranbic
Ford?
Jumpy? Rough? Erratic?
M0zTvy a shot of that soothing Mobilgas Rf
Frisky Fbrd'l
Peppy! Alert! Smooth!
Mobilgas R does it! This entirety new grade of gasoline
that selki at the price of regular gives 1 out of 10 pre-1955
Ford smooth, knock -free power long mileage.
Why? Formula UC4 added to higher eetaa
Mobilgas R helps keep your engine clean and peppy.
Tg4g rw3 rlactaone.
Gyu!o)nDg(3
LrvA
An entirely new grade sold at the price of Regular!
Vt9