Anti-fluoride groups like to claim that so many communities are deciding to end or not start fluoridation, but look beyond their spin to the national data. Since the year 2000, fluoridation has expanded to reach an additional 42 million Americans dental lab equipment. In fact, during the most recent 10-year period, the number of Americans receiving fluoridated water has increased (26%) nearly three times as fast as the overall population (9%). Now, consider recent trends in Florida — one of the largest states. In December, the Pinellas County commissioners voted to reverse a 2011 decision and resume water fluoridation in the county. This was an important decision for children and adults because the county’s water sytem serves about 700,000 residents. Janet Long, one of the newly elected commissioners (who defeated an anti-fluoride incumbent) told a newspaper: “I’m glad we got it done tooth scaler australia. It has moved our county to a place where thoughtful and deliberate discussion and conversation can take place and you can make decisions based on scientific evidence.” Just last week, Plant City (well known to Floridians for its tasty strawberry crop) also chose science over science fiction. The town began fluoridating its community water system, which serves more than 30,000 people. Last April, officials in the Gulf Coast city of Tarpon Springs (pop. of 24,000) also voted to begin fluoridation Dental Chair. Here is the lesson. When decisions are made in haste and based on emotions, they are likely to be misguided. But when public officials take plenty of time to examine the evidence and consult with experts in this field, they are much more likely to make a sound decision that reflects what the science shows. A Tip from the Experts from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Who supports community water fluoridation? A long, long list of the most respected health and medical organizations. One of them is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Recently, the Academy published this tip of the day: Fluoride: Not Just in Your Toothpaste Fluoride provides health benefits throughout a person’s life, especially for bones and teeth. Fluoride helps harden tooth enamel and so helps protect your teeth from decay. It also may offer some protection from osteoporosis, or brittle bone disease, by helping to strengthen your bones. Consuming too little fluoride may cause tooth enamel to weaken and put you at greater risk of cavities. Consuming excess amounts can cause fluorosis which is when the teeth become mottled, or marked with brown stains although teeth are healthy in every other way. An Adequate Intake (AI) for fluoride levels for children ages four to eight is 1 milligram daily, ages nine to 13 is 2 milligrams daily, for teens 3 milligrams daily and for adults the guideline is 4 milligrams for men and 3 for women. Fluoride is not widely available in food.