AI Summary:

  • Utah is poised to ban fluoride in public water systems, pending the governor’s signature.
  • The bill prohibits adding fluoride to public water and repeals previous related laws.
  • Federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized fluoride, influencing the bill.
  • Studies on fluoride’s impact on children’s IQ have mixed results, with some showing negative effects and others showing no harm.
  • Major public health groups support fluoridation for dental health benefits.
  • The anti-fluoridation movement has gained popularity post-Covid-19.
  • Similar legislation is proposed in Florida, emphasizing the importance of consent in public health measures.
  • Loce@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    They should put lead back into gasoline as well, while they’re at it…and asbestos in a baby powder.

  • thingAmaBob@lemmy.world
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    21 hours ago

    When I was younger, I was confused as to why fluoride was in water, since we would receive regular fluoride tablets in grade school. I’m sure not every school does that…

  • njm1314@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    Somewhere there’s a cabal of dentists sitting around a table in a dark and shadowy room cackling madly

  • DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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    21 hours ago

    I think I’m well past the point of caring if a bunch of conservative’s teeth fall out.

    As for those living there that are smarter than their conservative neighbors, honestly, we’re heading toward a future in this country where you may actually need to move to a blue state to have a decent future. Sorry.

  • indomara@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Want to see what happens when you do this?

    https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/childrens-headline-indicators/contents/indicator-7

    Notice the two states with the highest rates of dental decay are Queensland and Northern Territory?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation_in_Australia

    Yeah, those states didn’t get flouride in their water until around 2012.

    Such a coincidence…

    It’s also completely silly because many places have naturally fluoridated water!

  • NotLemming@lemm.ee
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    20 hours ago

    In a few years americans will be known for their bad teeth like the English are now

  • SpiceDealer@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Oh for fuck’s sake, how many times does this bullshit have to be debunked?!

    Here’s a paper that puts this nonsense to rest.

    And if that’s too “elitist” for you here’s not one but two Youtube videos.

    • asdfasdfasdf@lemmy.world
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      21 hours ago

      Curious if anyone can weigh in on this - is there much benefit to having fluorinated drinking water if you brush twice a day with fluorinated toothpaste and rinse with flourinated mouthwash?

      I distill all my drinking water, but it’s to remove PFAS and all the other garbage we’ve polluted the earth with. Not because of flouride.

      • Lyrl@lemm.ee
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        20 hours ago

        My understanding is the most benefit is to children whose teeth are still growing, then secondarily to adults who have substandard dental hygiene. An otherwise healthy adult with good dental care routines is the least impactful case.

        Going off on the tangent of distilled water: distilled water can reduce overall minerals in the diet. From WebMD https://www.webmd.com/diet/distilled-water-overview

        Distilled water lacks even electrolytes like potassium and other minerals your body needs. So you may miss out on a bit of these micronutrients if you drink only the distilled stuff. Some studies have found a link between drinking water low in calcium and magnesium and tiredness, muscle cramps, weakness, and heart disease

        • asdfasdfasdf@lemmy.world
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          19 hours ago

          That’s been debunked - we get so few minerals from water for our diet that it’s almost nothing anyway. Almost everything is from solid foods or non-water liquids.

    • Ledericas@lemm.ee
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      1 day ago

      People are going to be whining about cavities, in fact people who went flouride free toothpaste and complained they got cavities and blamed in on the effectiveness of the toothpaste

      • douglasg14b@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        It’s because critical thinking is a dead skill in this country.

        We have essentially trained an entire generation to not rely on critical thinking skills anymore. And apparently in the process of graduating a second generation of the same.

        It is the plot of Idiocracy. Where the people don’t even understand the things that affect them on a day-to-day basis they just know that “it’s what plants crave”

  • Labtec6@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    Dental issues increased in Calgary and they voted to put it back.

    • wildncrazyguy138@fedia.io
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      2 days ago

      This is the way. The idiots have been coddled for generations. They need to have the experience of their teeth rotting out for themselves.

      • cybersin@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        And what about the other 49% they dragged down with them? You’ve also just made everyone’s dental insurance 10x more expensive. Thanks!

        • indomara@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          For anyone in a state without fluoridated water, you can get fluoride drops to put in your/your children’s water.

          • howrar@lemmy.ca
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            1 day ago

            Why not just brush their teeth? I’m pretty sure fluoridated toothpaste is much easier to come by than fluoride drops.

            • Bahnd Rollard@lemmy.world
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              1 day ago

              Because adding fluoride to tap water provides measurable benifits regardless of socioeconomic status.

              In addition, other countries where municpal water is not as developed, they will add fluoride to salts and other consumer products.

              • howrar@lemmy.ca
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                1 day ago

                We’re comparing toothpaste to fluoride drops, not fluoridated tap water.

                • Bahnd Rollard@lemmy.world
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                  23 hours ago

                  Because your logic is flawed coming to that question. It insinuates that one is needed over the other. This is not a fair comparison because toothpaste and fluoride suppliments are purchased and flouridated tap water costs almost nothing to consumers of municipal water. All sources must be taken into account for public health programs like this.

          • prettybunnys@sh.itjust.works
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            1 day ago

            I grew up with well water and we didn’t have naturally occurring water.

            Our doctor prescribed us a chewable tablet we took every night after dinner.

            Didn’t get my first, and only, cavity until I was 35.

            My ex-wife who grew up with me had a dad who was “they’re putting gay vaccines in our fluoride to turn our cavities to queers” type and they didn’t …. Cavity city.

  • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    next up (unless it happened first): no more data collection or research about statewide dental health

  • peoplebeproblems@midwest.social
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    2 days ago

    RFK Jr. has criticized fluoride

    Yeah see, that right there is the only thing you really need to see that the ban is a bad idea.

  • Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de
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    2 days ago

    Shit; the serial killer sympathizers, racist, cousin fuckers, are about to add this to the list

    Sorry to all my brits, I know this hits home.