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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by Xatolos@reddthat.com to c/news@lemmy.world

AI Summary:

  • Utah is poised to ban fluoride in public water systems, pending the governor's signature.
  • The bill prohibits adding fluoride to public water and repeals previous related laws.
  • Federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized fluoride, influencing the bill.
  • Studies on fluoride’s impact on children's IQ have mixed results, with some showing negative effects and others showing no harm.
  • Major public health groups support fluoridation for dental health benefits.
  • The anti-fluoridation movement has gained popularity post-Covid-19.
  • Similar legislation is proposed in Florida, emphasizing the importance of consent in public health measures.
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[-] WhatSay@slrpnk.net 31 points 6 days ago

Want job security? Become a dentist

[-] ArtemisimetrA@lemmy.duck.cafe 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Fluoride in the water didn't help anyone's teeth. But your point remains valid I think

[-] SpiceDealer@lemmy.world 44 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Oh for fuck's sake, how many times does this bullshit have to be debunked?!

Here's a paper that puts this nonsense to rest.

And if that's too "elitist" for you here's not one but two Youtube videos.

[-] Ledericas@lemm.ee 13 points 6 days ago

People are going to be whining about cavities, in fact people who went flouride free toothpaste and complained they got cavities and blamed in on the effectiveness of the toothpaste

[-] asdfasdfasdf@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Curious if anyone can weigh in on this - is there much benefit to having fluorinated drinking water if you brush twice a day with fluorinated toothpaste and rinse with flourinated mouthwash?

I distill all my drinking water, but it's to remove PFAS and all the other garbage we've polluted the earth with. Not because of flouride.

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[-] indomara@lemmy.world 39 points 6 days ago

Want to see what happens when you do this?

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/childrens-headline-indicators/contents/indicator-7

Notice the two states with the highest rates of dental decay are Queensland and Northern Territory?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation_in_Australia

Yeah, those states didn't get flouride in their water until around 2012.

Such a coincidence...

It's also completely silly because many places have naturally fluoridated water!

[-] JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca 17 points 6 days ago

Yes but what about all the autism. Or mind controlling. Or whatever the hell it is that fluoride is evil for?

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[-] Loce@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago

They should put lead back into gasoline as well, while they're at it...and asbestos in a baby powder.

[-] Naevermix@lemmy.world 17 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

The tooth fairy economy is about to face an inflation crisis.

[-] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 28 points 6 days ago

RFK Jr. has criticized fluoride

Yeah see, that right there is the only thing you really need to see that the ban is a bad idea.

[-] Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de 28 points 6 days ago

Shit; the serial killer sympathizers, racist, cousin fuckers, are about to add this to the list

Sorry to all my brits, I know this hits home.

[-] datavoid@lemmy.ml 11 points 6 days ago

To be fair, you can have more cavities and still not eat rocks

[-] pyre@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago

you underestimate how fragile teeth can be

[-] rarbg@lemmy.zip 12 points 6 days ago

Slaps dental premiums this baby is going places!

[-] thingAmaBob@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago

When I was younger, I was confused as to why fluoride was in water, since we would receive regular fluoride tablets in grade school. I’m sure not every school does that…

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Somewhere there's a cabal of dentists sitting around a table in a dark and shadowy room cackling madly

[-] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

I think I'm well past the point of caring if a bunch of conservative's teeth fall out.

As for those living there that are smarter than their conservative neighbors, honestly, we're heading toward a future in this country where you may actually need to move to a blue state to have a decent future. Sorry.

[-] getoffthedrugsdude@lemmy.ml 12 points 6 days ago

I've seen this parks and rec episode

[-] cley_faye@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago

Sadly, this is unlikely to lead to the death of people, so it won't be reverted in a week, but have long lasting effects. I guess it's not a problem as long as there's a decent health infrastructure to hold up the increased issues, right?

[-] harrys_balzac@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 6 days ago

DōTerra probably also behind this to an extent. Gotta find new ways to sell "essential" oils.

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[-] CH3DD4R_G0BL1N@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 days ago

To finally stop the conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

The (d/m)ental decline in the US is real...

[-] PlaidBaron@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Obviously fluorinated water is fine but having never grown up with it, it seems kind of unecessary. Maybe stop shoving sugary food and drinks in everyone's faces would have a better impact?

[-] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 6 days ago

This is anecdotal.

Public health management isn't really the same as making health related decisions for yourself and your family.

As a public health measure fluoridation of water is an undeniable success. It has reduced the incidence of dental cavities by about a third, with better results in rural and poorer demographics.

[-] stetech@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

While I understand that it’s a useful, effective measure, I’m amazed that it’s needed at all. Most of Europe, despite having a comparable or on paper lower wealth status, has never heard of this as far as I can tell, and the introduction of the practice isn’t being discussed. What gives the US needs it?

[-] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 6 days ago

Interesting. I didn't know that.

I'm in Australia BTW, about 90% of our water is fluoridated.

There's lots of information about various countries here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation_by_country

I think a summary to answer your question is that it varies by region, in some areas there's enough fluoride present in the water naturally, in others fluoride is added to table salt, in some there's just no support for this measure.

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[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 3 points 6 days ago

In Europe, it varies by geology and country. Some places add fluoride to water, some to salt, some rely on fluoride toothpaste or mouthwash. https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/fluoridation/en/l-2/1.htm

[-] PlaidBaron@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

So rural and poor communities dont have access to healthier options or proper dental care and the solution your country picked was to put fluoride in the water instead of trying to actually support the poor.

What a country.

[-] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 days ago

Hmm. You realise we're talking about Australia right? We have some of the best universal healthcare, and social security in the world.

Additives like fluoride in water, iodine in salt, and folic acid in flour disproportionately benefit people with lower incomes because in many cases their nutrition and other health care is not great due to lifestyle preferences, or co-morbidities that are resistant to health interventions like substance abuse or mental illness or cultural norms.

Another problem in Australia is low population density. A small town might be several hundred kilometers from the nearest dentist. If everyone in that place agrees to fluoridate the water, where's the harm in that ?

We do have government funded free dental services, although I admit the wait times can be considerable.

[-] orcrist@lemm.ee 8 points 6 days ago

Define “unnecessary “. Seriously.

[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 6 days ago

Dentists’ wet dream.

[-] peregrin5@lemm.ee 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Uh, here in Oregon it's already been banned for a long time. This headline is sus.

[-] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 26 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

The difference is in verbiage. Oregon doesn't require it, but Oregon also doesn't ban it and leaves it up to municipalities. Utah is trying to actively force municipalities to not be allowed to use it.

[-] peregrin5@lemm.ee 4 points 6 days ago

Ah makes sense.

[-] IamSparticles@lemmy.zip 14 points 6 days ago

It isn't banned in Oregon. Many communities have simply decided not to do it. Hillsboro recently voted to stop fluoridating their water, for example.

This would be the first time an entire state has literally banned the practice.

And it's stupid. There are maps of the US that show which states have the lowest/highest rates of dental caries. The states with the lowest rates just happen to have mandatory water fluoridation, and the states with the lowest rates of fluoridation all have the worst dental health. Meanwhile there's zero evidence that drinking fluoridated water has negative health effects.

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this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2025
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