Monday Morning QB - Newport Beach Edition

I'm sick, wife is sick, kids are sick...

So I apologize in advance if this doesn't make sense.

The Daily Pilot had an article, "Newport water to contain fluoride," which then drew this Editorial, "Trust the dentists, not web theories." Ron and Anna Winship also gave us their thoughts on it.

Both Daily Pilot articles had many, many Reader Feedback posts left, many of which extremely upset that the Pilot would rail on people who read the internet and believe what they read.

Imagine that.

Believing what you read in the press and/or internet.

Considering that the "traditional" newspaper business is quickly flushing down the toilet, primarily because of the internet.

I don't subscribe to a newspaper anymore. I click on Cnn.com, MSNBC.com, OCRegister.com, LATimes.com, amongst many others.

The only thing I lose is something to fill the bottom of my birdcage with.

My thoughts on the Fluoridation issue? Don't like it...

But I did ask my sister, who's credentials include a stint as a Groundwater Specialist at the EPA, a Marine Biologist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and a Master Degree in Marine Biologist. Her job is to study the effects of chemicals in water.

Plus, she's a crazy researcher who lives to discredit all my thoughts.

She said,

1. EPA's current standard/goal of 4 mg/L should be lowered down to at least 2 mg/L.
2. The main health effect at the 2-4mg/L level is dental fluorosis, which is a mottling of tooth enamel that ranges from barely discernible enamel flecks in its mildest forms to staining and pitting in its severest forms; the severest forms are rare in the United States.
3. It seems to be safe, around the levels recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) (since the 1960's). They recommended an ''optimal" fluoride concentration of 0.7-1.2 mg/L to prevent dental cavities and minimize dental fluorosis.
4. Levels above 4mg/L (which shouldn't be happening, or else they are violating the EPA standard or they are eating a lot of toothpaste), have an increased chance of bone fracture.
   

The levels we are getting will not be more than 1.2 mg/L, most likely to be closer to 0.7 mg/L.

So while I'm a bit less hesitant about the increased Fluoridation, however somewhat concerned because of our really small children at home, I tend to trust my sister's opinion too.

As far as the Daily Pilot Editorial?

"We hardly think the dental association foundation has a secret agenda. Dentists want us to avoid tooth decay and will use whatever is best to help us battle cavities. Doesn’t your dentist nag you to floss, brush and use whatever mouthwash is best?

If they’re telling us to add fluoride to the water, then they know best."

That's great, don't do your own research (which is what the Internet is best for) and blindly follow the Dentists who AGREE with your opinion.

Never mind all the other doctors and dentists who don't...