Phoenix City Council reviewed its policy on public water fluoridation for the first time since 1989 this week.
Judy Clute, a Phoenix resident who was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 2004, urged the council to open the issue for debate after claiming a link between fluoridated water and her disease.
Without taking a vote, the council agreed to keep the current policy intact after two hours of testimony.
The City Council’s decision makes sense.
The scientific community overwhelmingly agrees that public water fluoridation, first implemented in U.S. cities in the mid-20th century, continues to be a highly cost-effective and safe way to improve public health while lowering dental costs, especially for low-income neighborhoods.
Phoenix currently spends $582,000 a year on water fluoridation, which averages about 39 cents per resident. In an AZ Central article, the American Dental Association is quoted as saying cities that fluoridate water reduce cavities 20 to 40 percent and reduce dental costs as much as $38 per resident.
So why would opponents be against an investment that improves public health at such a low cost to taxpayers?
One Harvard study found that fluoride could act as a neurotoxin when ingested in high amounts, possibly preventing proper brain development and lowering IQ levels in children.
This particular Harvard study focused on communities outside of the U.S., where levels of fluoride were reportedly higher than the .7 parts per millions (ppm) added to Phoenix’s water, and even more so than the 4 ppm maximum allowed as set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Even proponents of fluoridation will agree that it has led to rising levels of dental fluorosis, a discoloration of tooth enamel caused by overexposure to fluoride during tooth development.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that dental fluorosis is a mere cosmetic side effect with no real health risks. However, William Hirzy of American University, who spoke at the City Council’s meeting to oppose the policy, said in a 2000 speech before a Senate subcommittee that dental fluorosis is a “visible sign of over-exposure and fluoride toxicity.”
Hirzy said there needs to be more studies “looking for the effects of excessive fluoride exposure on bone and other tissues in American children.”
Despite evidence that it may be harmful, fluoride is a naturally occurring substance in water supplies, sometimes in levels that actually exceed EPA regulations.
It is important to note, however, that the City of Phoenix spends $400,000 on silicofluorides to fluoridate public water annually. Unlike calcium fluoride, silicofluorides are not naturally occurring and are considered a hazardous waste product from the production of fertilizer, steel and other materials.
While there is near-unanimous agreement among researchers that public water fluoridation is a safe and effective method for improving public health, studies that indicate otherwise should not be overlooked.
Regardless of conflicting data, it is crucial to maintain transparency, oversight and regulation on behalf of our municipalities and the companies that fluoridate our waterways.
Reach the columnist at damills3@asu.edu or follow the columnist at @Dan_iel_Mills.
Correction: Daniel Mills’s Sept. 13 column incorrectly stated that levels of fluoride in communities outside the U.S. were higher than the .07 parts per millions (ppm) in Phoenix’s water. The correct number is 0.7 ppm. The correction has been reflected in the column.
