Dear Editor:

We strongly favor continuing the 18-year-old practice of fluoridating the drinking water supplied by the Boothbay Region Water District (BRWD). Presently, there is a movement to put the question of continuing fluoridation before the voters of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport. Should such a vote take place, we encourage residents to learn the facts about fluoridation before casting their votes.

Fluoride is an important nutrient that, at the proper level, prevents cavities by strengthening tooth enamel. Fluoridated water protects the dental health of all age groups, but most particularly of young children whose teeth are developing. Dental decay is one the most common childhood diseases; and by preventing it in childhood, adults can enjoy better dental health throughout their lifetimes.

Fluoride is not a medication but a mineral that occurs naturally in all water. Adding fluoride to public drinking water is analogous to adding nutrients to other everyday products to benefit Americans’ health: iodine in salt, folic acid in bread, and vitamin D in milk.

Community water fluoridation is supported by the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization. The CDC calls drinking water fluoridation one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th century.

In a Dec. 13 letter to the editor, the authors cited certain health problems (for example, skeletal and cognitive issues) supposedly associated with fluoride. They acknowledge, however, that these problems occur only at “high levels of fluoride.” According to a recent letter to the Register by Jon Ziegra, Superintendent of the BRWD, our local water has a safe “level of fluoride . . . as specified by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control.” See https://www.boothbayregister.com/article/fluoridation-it-s-voters/156480. This level provides enough fluoride to prevent tooth decay in children and adults while limiting the risk of dental fluorosis, which the U.S. Public Health Service describes as “faint white spots on the teeth that usually only a dental professional would notice.”

Water fluoridation is a safe, efficient, and cost-effective way to improve dental health, particularly for our region’s children. We urge the community to join us in supporting the retention of our fluoridated water supply.

Dr. John F. Andrews, DMD, Boothbay

Tom Berry, Boothbay

Merritt and Martha Blakeslee, Boothbay Harbor

Dr. Deborah Bronk, PhD, Boothbay

Lee Corbin and Jon Dunsford, Boothbay Harbor

Sarah Foulger and Russell Hoffman, Boothbay Harbor

Sue and Bob Goodrich, Boothbay

Denise and Chip Griffin, Boothbay Harbor

Marty Helman, Boothbay Harbor

Margaret Helming, MD, and F. William Helming, III, Southport

Eric and Sandy Hakanson, Boothbay

Bill and Jan Hamblen, Boothbay Harbor

Judy and Alfred Kildow, Boothbay Harbor

Dr. Deryl Kipp, DDS, Boothbay

Jaime and Tom Knobloch, Boothbay Harbor

Douglas Light, Boothbay Harbor

Mary B. Neal, MD, Boothbay Harbor

Peggy Pinkham, RN, MBA, Boothbay

Betty and Ted Repa, Boothbay Harbor

Marianne Reynolds, Boothbay

Dr. Barclay Shepard, MD, Boothbay Harbor

Dr. Wendy J. Wolf, MD, MPH, Boothbay Harbor