BY KERA ABRAHAM
Dr. Richard Gabriel, DDS,
is a confirmed fluoridationist.
Fluoride-sure
D en ti s t fo r: 29 years
O ff i ce i n : Eugene, since 1980
F ig ht i n ’ wo r ds : “We are totally miss-
ing the boat. In Eugene, we have one
tenth the ideal amount of fluoride
available in our water supply.”
FLUOROSPAR!
Two Oregon dentists go tooth to tooth: a follow-up to last
week’s cover story on water fluoridation.
have fluoridated water, I took about four kids
per month to the hospital for full-mouth recon-
struction. But in 1980, after the city installed a
fluoridation system, I was only taking one
child per year to the hospital for the same pro-
cedure.
Oh, the shame!
I’ll give ya this …
Fluoride can be toxic in high doses.
But with a caveat:
We have nothing to lose and strong teeth to gain
by adjusting our water supply to the “optimal
level” of 1 part per million (ppm) fluoride.
If I get my way and you don’t like it,
you can:
Get a reverse osmosis filter to remove the flu-
oride and other contaminants from your tap
water. Communities worried about industrial
waste can get fluorospar from the mines in
Colorado.
Your solution won’t work because:
It’s not enough just to brush with fluoridated
toothpaste. Developing children need sys-
temic fluoride delivered by the bloodstream to
strengthen teeth from the inside out. And poor
kids often don’t have access to fluoride sup-
plements.
Lesson from the trenches:
In Pendleton in 1976, when the city did not
Fluoride’s opponents are inadvertently caus-
ing Lane County’s poor to suffer the most. In
my career as a practicing dentist, I have never
seen a higher decay rate than in Eugene,
Oregon. It’s broken my heart, because tooth
decay is a preventable disease.
For the kids:
I know many people feel that fluoridation is
being imposed upon them, but the kids grow-
ing up here don’t have a choice. They’re stuck
with crummy, soft, decayed teeth if they don’t
get treatment.
Surprising concession:
As consumers, we tend to abuse fluoride
products. If we have fluoridated water, we
won’t need fluoridated toothpaste — or fill-
ings.
Faith in fluoridation:
I’d like to see fluoridated water mandated not
just at the state level, but at the federal level.
Water fluoridation is the most widely studied
subject in the world. I am comfortable with
fluoride coming from any source, because all I
want is that fluoride ion.
ew
I’ll give ya this …
Water fluoridation may have been helpful in
preventing tooth decay in the past.
But with a caveat:
Fluoridation is now obsolete because
Americans are getting too much fluoride from
food, beverages and other sources.
If I get my way and you don’t like it,
you can:
Get some fluoride supplements and fluoridat-
ed toothpaste, and lower your sugar intake.
Countries in Europe that do not fluoridate their
water have the same amount of tooth decay
per person as the U.S.
Your solution won’t work because:
Fluoride is quickly losing is stripes in the med-
ical community because it is now ineffective,
and dangerous to boot. I’m confident it’s only
a matter of time before water fluoridation will
be as common as blood letting.
Lesson from the trenches:
In non-fluoridated Lake Oswego, where I am
a practicing dentist, I see dental fluorosis even
among people who grew up in the area. That
can only be explained by excessive fluoride
intake from food and other sources.
Oh, the shame!
Fluoride is linked to (among other ailments)
hypothyroidism, which causes lethargy and
weight gain. Could pharmaceutical companies
Dr. Bill Osmunson, DDS, MPH,
isn’t buying the fluoride hype.
Doubtful Dentist
De nt is t fo r : 28 years
O ff ic e in : Lake Oswego, for several years
F i gh t in ’ w o rd s: “We should not med-
icate people against their will. I think
that water fluoridation is wrong,
morally and scientifically. Medically, I
think it is dangerous.”
producing thyroid drugs be lobbying for fluor-
idation? I don’t have proof, but I wouldn’t be
surprised.
For the kids:
America’s kids need better dental care without
fluoride. Cities that have had fluoridation for
decades still have damning decay rates, while
cities that have stopped fluoridation and
increased dental health education have seen
improvements.
Surprising concession:
If you came to me and you had a bunch of
active decay, I would say you could use some
topical fluoride because it would help in
reducing the amount of decay. Topical fluoride
is beneficial to a small degree.
Faith in fluoridation:
Dentists generally look at the mouth and they
don’t look at the rest of the body. They believe
what they’re told. Very few look at the studies.
If you say anything negative about fluoride,
you have very serious professional conse-
quences.
ew
PRO-FLUORIDATION RESOURCES:
ANTI-FLUORIDATION RESOURCES:
• F lu or i d e Wo r ks ! www.fluorideworks.org
• N at io n a l O ra l He at h S ur v e il la nc e S y s t em , F l uo r i d a ti o n D a ta :www.cdc.gov/nohss/FSMain.htm
• Am e ri ca n D e n ta l A ss oc i a ti o n, Fl uo r id e I nf o : www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/index.asp
• F lu or i de Ac t io n Ne tw o r k: www. fluoridealert.org
• Or eg o n C i t iz e ns fo r S a fe Dr in k i ng W a te r : www.keepers-of-the-well.org/oregon
• P ar en ts o f F lu o r i de P oi so ne d C h il d re n : www.bruha.com/pfpc/
Wellness Centered Dentistry, PC
Darin J. Ward DDS, F.A.G.D.
300 Country Club Rd. Ste. 290 • Eugene, OR 97401
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JULY 28, 2005 13