Fluoridation of Drinking Water

It over the past 50 years one of the greatest public health advances and medical improvements that have been made in out society is the fluoridation of public drinking water. It has been a major factor responsible for the decline in tooth decay. Although other fluoride containing products are available, addition of fluoride to drinking water has proven to be the most cost-effective and efficient method of providing fluoride to all members within the community regardless of age, education, or level of income. The safety, efficiency and effectiveness of adding fluoride to water has been extensively and scientifically studied across numerous continents encompassing hundreds of cities and millions of people.

It has been shown that a community can expect to save $40 for every $1 invested to fluoridation of its public drinking water. In the review of numerous studies on the rate of tooth decay, it has been shown to be valuable not only for children but also for adults, with each new age group of older adults retaining more natural teeth than the generations before them. Safety has not been in question with the exception of abuse, generally in children who are swallowing toothpaste or over ingesting fluoride containing supplements, both generally occurring due to poor parental supervision. Dental staining or spotting has been reported where mild excess of fluoride has been ingested over time, with no damage to either the teeth or the subject.

Guidelines to the addition of fluoride have changed over the past 10 years due to the universal addition of fluoride to toothpastes. This has resulted in the increased exposure of individuals to fluoride. Thus Calgary City and Alberta Health Services as part of their ongoing review of the water fluoridation program reduced the level of fluoride to 0.7 mg/L (from the previous 1 mg/L) in 1998. (Fluoride naturally occurs in the Bow and Elbow Rivers, in concentrations varying throughout the year, between 0.1 and 0.4 mg/L).

As of  May 2011, Calgary city Council has voted to remove the fluoridation of the city’s water due to pressure of self interest groups and against advice and recommendations of the region's chief medical officer of health, of Alberta health region, and they opted not to consult with the expert panel that was offered by the University of Calgary for free. Interestingly Major Nenshi was absent during this critical Council vote which impacts the health of all Calgarian's. Reasons for the vote to stop fluoridation included the cost to the city of $750,000 a year for implementation, plus additional costs to upgrade the fluoridation equipment. Other factors claimed included the rights of counsel to impose addition of fluoride to drinking water which might not be approved by 100% of the population.

References:

1. City of Calgary  “Fluoride discontinued in Calgary’s drinking water”
2. Community Water Fluoridation and Dental Health in the U.S

      http://www.healthyteeth.us/documents/FluoridationWilliamMaaspublicstatement.pdf

Recommended Sources for further information:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridationhttp://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/index.htm

Free Nature Walks | Birds Calgary

Free Nature Walks | Birds Calgary: "Sun May 8, 8am: Visit Frank Lake to look at the birds – and the insects that support them! Learn the reason for the varied birdlife – and the diverse aquatic invertebrates that the lake supports. Meet Anderson LRT Station, Macleod Tr., S of pedestrian overpass, or at 8:45am, at the gate to Frank Lake, S off Hwy 23, about 5 km E of High River. Bring lunch. Leaders, aquatic specialist, Danita Mazlankowski, 403-771-2461 and Greg Wagner, 403-601-3893."

Urine Grass Burn

At this time of the year our grass is most susceptible to urine burn from our dogs.  Also, unfortunately the bluegrass that is our most common lawn grass, is also the most susceptible to urine burn.  The cause is the high nitrogen concentration of urine, due to it’s the ammonium content.  Just as over fertilization will kill the grass, so does the urine.  The only real cure is to liberally water the lawn where your pet is urinating.  Once we get into the wetter and warmer time of the year, and we actually get into the growth phase of the grass, this is no longer such a problem.  During the snow covered winter months the urine is often sufficiently diluted by the snow cover and so causes less damage.  So if you are concerned about the spots of killed lawn, now is the time to start watering where your dog urinates. 

Females dogs are more damaging to the lawn as they squat and localize their urine.  Male dogs often urinate up against objects and so are urinating into the flower beds or have a disseminated stream.

For the most part many of the products that are recommended to prevent grass burn which are sold for dogs are poorly effective or potentially harmful.  After many years of experience with a variety of products, we have yet to find anything that works any better than water, re-seeding and time.