City commission reinstates water fluoridation

May 16—The persistence of oral health experts succeeded as they swayed one Abilene City Commissioner to change her vote during Monday's commission meeting, ending in a 3-2 result to reintroduce fluoride into the city's water.

Public comments

Before the commission voted, several local and Topeka experts made comments to the commission.

Abilene dentist Dr. Beatrice Brittan returned to the stand to begin public comments. She asked the public to raise their hands if they came to support water fluoridation. Almost half of the crowd raised their hands. She stands by her statement that ending water fluoridation was a mistake.

"It's a shame that some of you made the decision to take this public health benefit away from all people in Abilene because it does not fit into your own personal philosophy of government," Brittan said.

Citizens who do not want to drink fluoridated water can purchase bottled water or a special filter, but there is no easy solution for people who want to supplement their fluoridate exposure if fluoride is taken out of the water. For some children and people with disabilities who struggle to brush their teeth, water fluoridation is the only defense against tooth decay.

Kevin Robertson, executive director of the Kansas Dental Association, supported Dr. Brittan's statements. Among his comments, water fluoridation raises the natural fluoride levels in water by about 0.4 milligrams per liter. The general purpose of fluoride is to strengthen the enamel of your teeth, which defends the tooth from bacteria and acids that cause cavities and general tooth decay. Fluoride also strengthens children's teeth as they are developing. Over 100 organizations worldwide support water fluoridation.

Tanya Dorf Brunner, executive director of Oral Health Kansas, said the level of fluoride in Abilene's water, 0.7 mg/L, is like pouring a tablespoon in a swimming pool. Along with supporting previous comments, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named water fluoridation as one of the top 10 greatest public health achievements in the 20th century.

"There's a quick, natural experiment I want to share with you," Dorf Brunner said. "In Calgary and Edmonton Canada, this is about 2011, both cities are sister cities, like Abilene and Salina really. They both were fluoridated. Calgary stopped, and within five years, the tooth decay among kids increased by 146% in five years. You'll see some change really quickly if the current ordinance stays on the books."

Lawrence Cooper, retired Abilene dentist, said he observed when he began practicing in Abilene in 1977 that children had a high rate of dental caries, an infectious disease that causes rampant tooth decay. After Abilene began fluoridating their water in 1990s, he saw within the first few years, decreases in rampant tooth decay and continued to see decreases as his 24-year practice continued.

Joan Thayer, Abilene resident, said she and her husband were taken aback when they learned the commission had stopped fluoridating water. Among her comments, she said her son-in-law, who is a dentist and could not attend the meeting, said the commission's decision will affect everyone, especially the poor who may have trouble affording dental care.

"It will affect their appearance almost to the point of, perhaps, appearing they are a meth addict with so many caries on the front of their teeth, which will make them miss school, and then make them unhirable in the workplace, and it makes them miss work more often," Thayer said.

Commission's vote

The commission stood by their stances voiced during the April 22 meeting with the exception of Commissioner Wendy Miller. She said Dr. Brittan helped her better understand the health benefits, and she is inclined to trust Lawrence Cooper's support of fluoride.

"I don't want to take the ability to make decisions for yourself and family out of your hands, but I want to protect teeth too," Miller said.

The commission then voted 3-2 to add fluoride back into water, with commissioners Brandon Rein and Trevor Witt voting no. The decision was met with applause from the audience, which Rein silenced with a smack of his gavel.

The Abilene City Commission next meeting is the day after Memorial Day, May 28, at 4 p.m., in the Abilene Public Library.