A classic toothpaste commercial featured the line, \u201cLook, Ma, no cavities!\u201d<\/p>\n
An organization that is fighting a mandatory fluoridation law is now claiming, \u201cLook, Ma, no cavities report.\u201d<\/p>\n
Secure Arkansas, a self-described grassroots organization, has charged that a former official for the Arkansas Department of Health (AHD) used deception in getting the passage of Act 197, mandating fluoridation for water systems serving over 5,000 customers.<\/p>\n
According to a piece on the Secure Arkansas website, Dr. Lynn Mouden, who was the director of the AHD\u2019s Office of Oral Health, \u201cused a non-existent survey to try to prove that people in a non-fluoridated area have more cavities than a fluoridated area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Secure Arkansas reviewed the 2011 IRS 990 filing of Delta Dental of Arkansas, which promoted Act 197. It found that Mouden was on the board of directors of Delta Dental while at the same time as director of the AHD Office of Oral Health.<\/p>\n
The Daily Times also reviewed the filing and did find Mouden\u2019s name listed as a director of Delta Dental. Mouden has moved on to become the Chief Dental Officer for the U.S. Centers for Medical and Medicaid Services.<\/p>\n
Secure Arkansas said it was a direct conflict of interest between the AHD and Delta\u00a0 Dental.<\/p>\n
Secure Arkansas later went on to say that the Delta Dental Foundation provides the grant money for the startup costs for all fluoridation installation.<\/p>\n
According to Secure Arkansas, the nonexistent report compared Perry County, a non-fluoridated area, to Morrilton, a fluoridated area.<\/p>\n
The Daily Times contacted the office of Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. Communications Director Judd Deere responded to an inquiry as to whether the matter was being investigated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Attorney General is bound by her obligations to the department as its attorney,\u201d he said. \u201cFurthermore, the Attorney General does not have statutory authority to investigate public trust issues and therefore is not investigating the report or the Department of Health. However, Attorney General Rutledge takes any allegation in which the public trust has been violated, including this instance, seriously and refers it to the proper authority.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deere declined further comment.<\/p>\n
Secure Arkansas has been backing the Ozark Mountain Regional Public Water Authority (OMRPWA) in its fight against having to fluoridate its water supply. The OMRPWA, which serves 18 local water entities, has come out strongly against fluoridation, and will decide at a special meeting on Dec. 17 whether it will comply with the fluoridation mandate from the AHD.<\/p>\n
Emails were sent to both Secure Arkansas and Mouden for comments, but neither had responded by press time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A classic toothpaste commercial featured the line, \u201cLook, Ma, no cavities!\u201d An organization that is fighting a mandatory fluoridation law is now claiming, \u201cLook, Ma, no cavities report.\u201d Secure Arkansas, a self-described grassroots organization, has charged that a former official for the Arkansas Department of Health (AHD) used deception in getting the passage of Act … <\/p>\n