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helen souza's avatar

My children grew up in a small town in Western Fresno County, California. The fluoride level was so high that local dentists never fluoridated their teeth. No drops and no dental treatments. My children never experienced even one cavity. We were told if more Flouride was introduced their teeth would have permanent dark marks. My children are in their 50's. So this was common knowledge many years ago.

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Mike Haas's avatar

In Cincinnati, fluoridation was put to a popular vote, where it lost no fewer than three times before the state EPA ordered it anyway.

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Rowcrop's avatar

Do a search for Brainerd MN's fight against flouride in their water.

It went on for 20 years until about 1980.

The heavy hand of government forced them to do it.

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Ed Paulson PhD - The BizDoctor's avatar

Great post! I have often wondered about how all of this happened. I particularly liked how you explained the circuitous route successful research often takes, which I am writing about a well. We never know where the next great breakthrough will come from, but stopping research for sure will keep it from happening.

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John F. Harnes's avatar

Ed, Thank you for your nice comment. My late father, who was a physician, used to say that one-third of what one learns in medical school is wrong. We just don't know which one-third it is. He was hardly a conspiracist, just a clear-eyed realist who recognized, as many smart people do, that there are limits to how smart even the smartest people are.

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Jonathan Dorfman's avatar

I was not aware of the history of the campaign for fluoridization. This explains it well—not least in recalling the great Sterling Hayden’s career. Younger HRR readers might recognize Hayden from his role as the cop who smacked Michael Corleone around in Godfather I, and who was subsequently shot by Corleone in the famous scene in the Italian restaurant.

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