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submitted 1 month ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Misinformation campaigns increasingly target the cavity-fighting mineral, prompting communities to reverse mandates. Dentists are enraged. Parents are caught in the middle.

The culture wars have a new target: your teeth. 

Communities across the U.S. are ending public water fluoridation programs, often spurred by groups that insist that people should decide whether they want the mineral — long proven to fight cavities — added to their water supplies. 

The push to flush it from water systems seems to be increasingly fueled by pandemic-related mistrust of government oversteps and misleading claims, experts say, that fluoride is harmful.

The anti-fluoridation movement gained steam with Covid,” said Dr. Meg Lochary, a pediatric dentist in Union County, North Carolina. “We’ve seen an increase of people who either don’t want fluoride or are skeptical about it.”

There should be no question about the dental benefits of fluoride, Lochary and other experts say. Major public health groups, including the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, support the use of fluoridated water. All cite studies that show it reduces tooth decay by 25%.

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[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 15 points 1 month ago

The only thing "bad" about flouride I know that is true is that it can lower DHT levels in your blood. I put bad in quotes because I don't know what DHT actually does, but the conspiracy I've heard is that DHT is needed to dream and imagine, so by drinking fluoridated water you're destroying your own creativity or whatever.

I always thought it was funny.

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[-] Jimmyeatsausage@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago

Man, are these conspiracy nuts gonna be mad when they accidently ban us removing fluoride from water with dangerous concentrations. The amount of fluoride we shoot for would require a 155 lb person to drink around 5000 gallons.

[-] FluorideMind@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago
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[-] Halcyon@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 1 month ago

It's not freedom if it contradicts science and goes against healthcare for the public.

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[-] Fedizen@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

yes but we should do more studies on non-dental effects of water fluoridation.

[-] xep@kbin.social 12 points 1 month ago

There's been studies about the negative effects it has on thyroid function for people with hypothyroidism : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5805681/

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[-] baru@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Apparently the Netherlands stopped adding fluoride to the drinking water decades ago (due to idiots). It is in toothpaste. Which then gets into the sewer which then gets into the drinking water.

Dutch article: https://www.drinkwaterplatform.nl/fluoride-in-drinkwater-alle-vragen-en-antwoorden/

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this post was submitted on 08 May 2024
343 points (95.3% liked)

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