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WRITE ON: Measles-mumps-fluoride, oh my!

4 0
yesterday

Make America sick again?

In addition to health and human services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s strong anti-vaccination stance, we can add his call to end all fluoridation of public water supplies.

I wish I was kidding.

The history of fluoride’s health benefits stretches back to the early 20th century when researchers determined that folks living in places with naturally occurring fluoride in water had fewer cavities in their teeth and generally healthier mouths. Based on that finding and scads of later research studies, communities across the U.S. slowly began adding minute amounts of fluoride to public water systems, starting in the 1940s.

And voila! Dentists noted they were seeing fewer cavities, healthier teeth and mouths. The discovery and addition of fluoride to drinking water is considered one of great public health success stories of the 20th Century, right there with vaccines that keep people from contracting diseases like polio and measles.

So, what’s up with RFK Jr. and this current anti-fluoridation focus? An attempt to divert supporters from outrage over his........

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