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Syracuse editorial: Why are we still arguing about fluoridated water 70 years later?

It’s unthinkable, that 70 years after fluoride was first put into a public water system preventing untold number of cavities in the American population that a Central New York community again voted down fluoridation.

The City of Oneida Tuesday voted not to put fluoride in its water supply. It followed similar votes in 2002 and 2008.

Oneida though, isn’t alone. The state says that only 42 percent of the New Yorkers living outside of New York City get their water from a fluoridated system. That’s a sad statistic.

How many cavities and abscessed teeth could have been prevented?

Studies show that people have between 25 percent and 40 percent fewer cavities when cities add fluoride to their water systems, said Martin Makowski, president of the Michigan Dental Association in a recent guest column on MLive.

The U.S. Public Health Service has acknowledged that Americans now have access to more fluoride through toothpaste and mouthwash. A little more than a week ago it recommended that some systems lower the amount placed in the water to prevent teeth discoloration. But, it didn’t change the federal government’s stance on fluoridation.

Placing fluoride in the community water supply is one of the top 10 medical advances of the 20th century, according to the Centers of Disease Control. It ranks right up there with the small pox vaccine.

When will recalcitrant Central New York communities come into the 21st century and fluoridate the water?

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