It's over water. More specifically, adding fluoride to the water. Opponents to fluoridation have been given the nickname "Toothers" (not to be confused with "Birthers" demanding President Obama's birth certificate).
Fluoride is well-known to help strengthen teeth. It can be found naturally in water, but many water municipalities add it when it isn't naturally found in the water supply. The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for regulating fluoride in drinking water and has established a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4 milligrams per Liter. It has been shown that some people who drink water for many years with fluoride above this MCL may experience bone disease and children may be at risk for mottled teeth.
In 2010, the Center for Disease Control reported that 73.9% of the drinking water in the United States was fluoridated. Currently, Portland is the largest city water municipality in which the water is not fluoridated. Last September the City Council unanimously voted to fluoridate the water, but a petition with 22,000 signatures took the measure out of the City Council's hands and onto the May 2014 ballot. The council then decided to fast forward this measure and added it to a special election ballot for this May. (For a more in depth look at the history of this issue, take a look at this piece from the Willamette Weekly.)
I had never heard of a city that didn't fluoridate the water until I had moved here. In fact, I was certain fluoridated water was universal. Then I learned from my dentist that the fight for fluoridation was just getting warmed up.
Many Toothers believe that there are health effects that fluoride can have besides bone disease when it consumed in large amounts. Some of these health concerns include dry skin, low thyroid function, and cold hands and feet. Toothers believe that any amount of fluoride in drinking water is hazardous to one's health.
Putting this in perspective, our bodies are exposed to hundreds of environmental "hazards" daily. It is difficult to tell exactly what in our environment is going to be the cause of any health issue. This is why many studies that suggest people quit smoking/ lose weight/ reduce alcohol consumption add the line that doing any one of those things "may reduce the risk" of developing this, that, or the other thing. However, doing any of those things does not automatically eliminate the chance of you ever being diagnosed with a disease.
I am not by any means saying that fluoridated water is equal to smoking tobacco products or excessive alcohol consumption, but rather there is a good chance that fluoride is not the sole cause of some (if not all) of the health issues described above.
As far as I am concerned, this is a public health issue. It has been shown that many people in Portland have poor dental health. Some of this is by their own choice, but for many it may be the fact they do not have access to the tools for proper care. It has been brought up by Toothers that more should be invested in education programs promoting dental care. One example of the education approach in action is the campaign to wear seatbelts. When you look at the statistics, however, people are still killed due to being involved in car accidents and not wearing their seatbelt. If the education approach worked, wouldn't this have ended?
This is a picture of tooth decay. In line with the Toothers train of thought, if everyone saw this they would take better care of their teeth. I mean, images work so well for cigarette cessation, right?
This May the voters in Portland have the ability to improve the dental situation of many community members. It is my hope that the voters in Portland do not take this opportunity lightly. In the meantime, I'll be investing in a fluoride mouth rinse.
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