It’s not hard to see why some people are confused about fluoride and aren’t aware of the benefits of consuming fluoridated water. A variety of websites post many pages of content that make allegations without bothering to provide any science that backs up what they claim. Exhibit A: This article on a website called NaturalNews makes several assertions, including the claim that collagen, an important group of naturally occurring proteins, “is torn apart by fluoride.” Did the article cite or hyperlink to any studies that provided evidence for that claim? No, not a single one dental scaling machine. The only study that we found linking fluoride and collagen actually points in the opposite direction by showing that a certain form of fluoride acts as a buffer to protect collagen in the mouth. But why should this allegation surprise us? After all, the very same article makes the outrageous, false claim that “even the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) admits that there is no verifiable, scientific proof that fluoride in any way prevents cavities.” Really? Is he referring to the same CDC that named water fluoridation one of 10 “great public health achievements”? If the writer of this article had taken 5 minutes to visit the CDC website, he would have found this CDC web page, which shares “detailed evidence supporting the benefits of community water fluoridation.” This is typical of what you find on many anti-fluoride websites. Lots of wild claims, but a stark absence of real evidence. The public deserves better than slanted, junk science websites. The Cost of Giving Into Fear Anti-fluoride activists are persistent and vocal, and these traits can sometimes mislead elected officials into believing these activists speak for most of the community. And there can be hidden costs when local officials give into the unfounded fears that fluoride opponents raise. Consider the experience of Scappoose, Oregon — a town roughly 30 minutes northwest of Portland. Scappoose has fluoridated its drinking water since the year 2000. After some people complained about fluoridation, town officials agreed to put the issue on an election ballot contra angle handpiece. Last month, the town’s residents had their say on whether to continue fluoridation, and Ballot Measure 5-231 passed easily with 61% of the vote. It cost the town about $3,000 to conduct this special election. That money could have gone to much better use than paying for an election in which Scappoose residents strongly reaffirmed the town’s fluoridation program. turbine air compressor