dental equipment
As a Registered Dental Hygienist of 25 years, I have always questioned and disagreed with artificial water fluoridation, despite the fact it is promoted as being "safe and effective."

I feel it is unethical to medicate the population through the water supply for the purpose of preventing tooth decay. The majority of Europe has ruled against it, many cities in Canada are removing it or have never added it, and only 30% of Canada has artificial water fluoridation.

In my research, the question no one could answer satisfactorily - not even the Royal College of Dental Surgeons or Lambton Public Health - is: "What is the proper dose?"

In 2015, fluoride in tap water was lowered to 0.7 ppm from 1 ppm (parts per million) to avoid fluorosis and adverse effects. But that didn't take into account fluoride from other sources, for example, toothpaste at 1,000 ppm, often inadvertently swallowed.

Since we all consume differing amounts of fluoride we are like human guinea pigs, without informed consent or a doctor's prescription.

The facts are:
  1. The substance being added to our water supply, HFSA (Hydrofluosilicic Acid, Fluoride) is a contaminated industrial waste from the phosphate fertilizer industry, scrubbed from pollution stacks in China, Mexico and Florida. It IS NOT pharmaceutical grade fluoride.
  2. It is recognized as a toxic and hazardous product by the Hazardous Products Act 2010.
  3. HFSA has NOT been legally approved as a substance to prevent dental decay.
  4. Its safety hasn't been proven by toxicology studies.
  5. It is unregulated, uncontrolled and untested by Health Canada for therapeutic or nutritional uses.
  6. It is legally defined as a hazardous waste.
  7. It is administered to residents without informed consent.
  8. There are specific health warnings for exposure to HFSA listed in the manufacturer's safety data, including, skeletal changes (joint pain and fracturing), osteosclerosis and fluorosis.
  9. It is a corrosive and lead-leaching agent in the water system. Lead can have serious health consequences including neurotoxicity.
  10. It poses unreasonable risk because of its chronic toxicity.
  11. I am aware of two civil lawsuits against artificial water fluoridation, one in Peel Region, Ontario and Northern California.
Fluoride is not a nutrient. Not a single biological process has been shown to require fluoride (NRC 2006). Tooth decay is caused by inadequate nutrition, high sugar intake, poor oral hygiene, genetics and lack of access to dental care.

Surely, the millions that Sarnia has spent over the years on adding this toxin to the water can be better spent on dental health and education.

Topical application in dental offices, brushing at home, thoroughly rinsing, is an effective alternative.

It is also about choice. We are stuck with whatever the community puts in our water and it is expensive to properly filter it out or buy purified water.

Artificial water fluoridation needs to stop, because it is unsafe, unproven, unethical and unnecessary. For more, contact Fluoride Free Lambton on Facebook or fluoridealert.org

Agneta Czechowicz is a Sarnia native who has a passion for the environment and living a healthy lifestyle.