Dear Sir:
It was sad to see the City of Terrace decide to bow to local medical information in deciding not to hold a referendum on regarding fluoridation of its water.
Here we are in northwest Canada, still in the dark ages compared to Europe.
These are my questions:
We are feeding poverty-stricken children fluoridated water to prevent cavities.
But are they actually drinking this water? Enough to impact their teeth, that is. What is the magic number for that to work, by the way?
Or are they drinking/sipping baby formula (which has sugar), milk (which has sugar), certain yogurt mixtures and the like (which has sugar), juice (which has sugar), fruit drinks (which have sugar) and pop (all sugar)?
Let’s not even talk about donuts, cakes, candy or cookies getting stuck in their teeth.
What are we doing to support people changing their diets, learning how to cook, teaching them the damage sugar does to teeth?
And are they being taught – and their parents fully and continuously supported – to make sure they brush their teeth after every meal?
Teach a kid to stay away from sugar, get back to their indigenous diet (no matter where you are from, could be Scandinavia like me), and brush your teeth - gee! I wonder what would happen then?
We don’t need fluoridation. We need education in taking care of our bodies. Let’s teach people to eat good food. Let’s get at the root cause, not place Band-Aids on the problem.
Marianne Brorup Weston,
Terrace, B.C.