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Feds Say It's Time To Cut Back On Fluoride In Drinking Water

An anonymous reader writes: Federal health officials Monday changed the recommended amount of fluoride in drinking water for the first time since 1962, cutting by almost half the maximum amount of fluoride that should be added to drinking supplies. The Department of Health and Human Services recommended 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water instead of the long-standing range of 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams. The change is recommended because now Americans have access to more sources of fluoride, such as toothpaste and mouth rinses, than they did when fluoridation was first introduced in the United States,' Dr. Boris Lushniak, the deputy surgeon general, told reporters during a conference call.

5 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. Re:It's finally time by Chrisq · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Britain has better dental health than the USA. But keep peddling that century old myth if it makes you feel better.

    My wife is American and finds this particularly funny. When she came to the UK she had a lot of treatment that she could not have afforded in the USA, and our daughter has orthodontic treatment without charge - and some of her relatives who have had teeth removed because they could not afford treatment still make jokes about British teeth

  2. Re:Its about time by BonThomme · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Out of a population of about three-fourths of a billion, under 14 million people in Europe receive artificially-fluoridated water."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoridation_by_country

    You might ask yourself why you've embraced a myth.

  3. Re:It's finally time by king+neckbeard · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The reason that Americans say Brits have bad teeth is because of whiteness and straightness, neither of which has much to do with number of cavities. There, the mystery is solved. Also, there's the distinct possibility that Brits today care more about their dental health because it was so shitty, either in aesthetics or health, for so long.

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  4. Re:It's finally time by Totenglocke · · Score: 3, Insightful

    and our daughter has orthodontic treatment without charge

    I have to be "that guy". You were charged - and quite a bit for it, they just didn't hand you a bill after you received the service. When you factor in all taxes (VAT, fuel tax, TV tax, income tax, NHS tax, etc) even the lowest tax bracket in the UK is paying roughly 50% of their income in taxes.

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  5. Re:Just get rid of it by dwillden · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Funny, medical experts disagree with you. So please post your training so we can compare it with that of the deputy Surgeon General.

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