Here we go again. Just as fluoride has begun coursing through public drinking water supplies in parts of Davis County, fluoride opponents have succeeded — once again — in bringing the issue to a vote.
The Davis County Commission, on the advice of a deputy county attorney, will place an initiative petition on the ballot to allow Davis County voters to again consider whether fluoride should be added to public drinking supplies. Two years ago, voters, by a 52 to 48 percent margin, approved adding one part per million of fluoride to drinking water systems.
Despite the countywide vote and a second vote in Centerville (which many have rightly complained was a poorly worded ballot question) that narrowly supported the proposal, this issue will again go before the voters. We wonder out loud how many times this question must be answered before this proven public health measure is accepted. We hope voters will be persuaded by the wealth of credible research by health organizations and researchers who have consistently found that fluoridation is a safe, effective and inexpensive means to prevent tooth decay.
New statewide surveys suggest the incidence of tooth decay among Utah children is staggering. The Utah School Nurse Association has identified dental disease as the biggest health problem among elementary school children. Moreover, half of the
children 6 to 8 years old in Utah had untreated decay, according to the state's first oral health survey completed in December. In some rural areas, 60 to 70 percent of the children had decay that hadn't been treated.
The survey confirmed what administrators of the Children's Health Insurance Program learned when the program completed its first year: Dental health needs were far more extensive than program managers had anticipated.
These two indicators tell us a great deal about Utahns. While most parents have good intentions about administering fluoride to their children starting at age 6 months, Utah's high levels of dental decay tell us not all parents are dutiful about that practice. Seemingly, children whose parents for whatever reason do not administer fluoride deserve the benefit of a public health measure that would flow through the taps of their own homes.
We urge voters in Davis County to carefully consider the credible science and successful history of this sound public health practice and vote — again — to endorse fluoridation.