SULPHUR ROCK — The Rock-Moore Public Water Authority discontinued the use of fluoride in its water at the beginning of this month.

The authority had been injecting fluoride in its water since early 1999, Manager Joey Richardson said.

At that time the board of directors felt that injecting fluoride to help prevent tooth decay was a good thing to do, he said.

Recent developments announced by the American Dental Association caused the directors to rethink their position.

“The ADA’s recommendation is that instant milk formula not be mixed with fluoridated water,” Richardson said. “It can lead to something called enamel fluorosis in young children.”

Because so many products already containing fluoride are now on the market, the board decided to stop injecting fluoride, he said. Among those products are toothpaste with fluoride, mouth rinses with fluoride and even bottled water containing fluoride.

Although the ADA’s recommendations, which were made late last year, have not yet received much publicity, Richardson said a legislator in Tennessee who is a dentist is recommending water not be injected with fluoride in that state.

“You’re going to have pros and cons either way, but our board felt more comfortable discontinuing it,” Richardson said.

To read more about fluoride and infant formula, visit the ADA’s Web site at www.ada.org.

Print PDF