A bill moving through the Kentucky General Assembly would make fluoridation treatment of drinking water voluntary for municipalities.
House Bill 141 Currently, Kentucky towns with a population of 3,000 or more will no longer be required to add fluoride to their drinking water.
Health advocacy groups and even some dental insurance companies have voiced opposition to the bill.
Whitney Dietz is a dentist who practices in Davis and McCracken counties. He said he expects the bill, if passed, to significantly increase tooth decay rates, especially among children.
“If we didn’t administer fluoride, we would probably have three cavities per child,” Dietz said. “One study shows that each child has about eight cavities. So when I heard that the state government was considering making this optional, I was stunned. I was really shocked.”
Supporters of the bill, including co-sponsor state Rep. William Lawrence (R-Maysville), have been quoted calling fluoride a “forced dose.”
They argue that the purpose of the law is to give local governments the choice of whether to add fluoride to their water supplies.
Dietz said the number of pediatric dental providers in the state has declined since the pandemic, and challenges with dental providers’ ability to participate in Medicaid and Medicare are exacerbating the problem.
She said she regularly reviews the medical records of hundreds of children who volunteer in their communities and schools.
“I see children whose permanent molars have been bombed beyond repair, children who are in pain, children who have abscesses,” Dietz said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, community water fluoridation The state saves an estimated $6.5 billion annually. Reduces dental treatment costs such as tooth restorations and extractions, as well as indirect economic losses such as reduced worker productivity.
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