By Dr. John S. Pyke, III, D.D.S.
Mark E. Christ, ALMU
Using digital radiography Dr. John Pyke checks the image of a patient’s teeth at his state-of-the-art dental offices on Walker Road. Digital imagery requires 90% less radiation than visual dental x-ray. A laser reads the image in 10 seconds and stores the information on a computer making it instantly available for future consultation
Local dentists are becoming concerned about an increase in the number of cavities found in the teeth of children and young adults. And a growing number of them, including Dr. John S. Pyke of Avon Lake, attribute this disturbing trend to the increase in the consumption of soft drinks and bottled waters that do not contain fluoride.
“Until recently most Americans got their water from the tap. Within the next four years they will get it from a bottle or a soda pop,” says Dr. Pyke. The Beverage Marketing Corporation projects that by 2005, consumers will drink more bottled water (approximately 25 gallons per person) than any other beverage, with the exception of carbonated soft drinks.
The hazard of consuming too much pop speaks for itself but only drinking bottled water can be equally hazardous to your oral health. You could be missing the decay-preventive benefits of fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral that when added to water helps prevent tooth decay.
“The amount of fluoride in tap water is very small but over time it can pay big dividends in oral health,” says Dr. Pyke. Over 50 years of research by the ADA and other medical organizations has demonstrated the beneficial effects of fluoridation. Studies have shown that children experienced a 40-49% reduction in tooth decay and adults 50-59% when they consumed fluoridated water.
According to the EPA, the federal agency that monitors municipal water systems, the optimal level of fluoride to help prevent decay is 0.7 to 1.2 ppm. One part per million (ppm) is equal to 1 minute in 2 years or 1 penny in $10,000. Most bottled water contains approximately 0.3 ppm of fluoride. Some contain no fluoride and when the water is treated before it’s bottled, fluoride may be lost. The fluoride level in Avon Lake drinking water is maintained at an average of approximately 0.95 ppm, safely within the accepted optimal level.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) share responsibility for the nation’s water quality. The EPA mandates that municipal water systems list contaminant levels found in their drinking water, such as fluoride, and compare them with EPA health standards. This information is published annually by Avon Lake Municipal Utilities in a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) mailed to the consumer and available on the Utility’s web site. Regulated by the FDA, the bottled water industry is exempt from this requirement, even though some of it is simply bottled municipal water.
Water supplies in 62% of the communities in America are fluoridated but only 20 of the dozens of brands of bottled water marketed contain some fluoride. Both the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Dental Association (AMA) have asked for the appropriate labeling of all bottled water. But to date, FDA regulations require fluoride content to be listed only if fluoride is added during processing.
And fluoridation is safe. There is no scientific evidence that optimal levels of fluoride affect the quality of water. The first examination of 50 years research on the safety of adding fluoride to drinking water found no evidence of harm and should allay the lingering fears it could cause cancer, osteoporosis or Down Syndrome, according to a report in the 2000 British Medical Journal. There is no evidence of allergy or intolerance to fluoride as used in the fluoridation of municipal water supplies stated the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Allergy’s position on fluoride and reports comparing cancer mortality in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas revealed no association with fluoride levels in drinking water according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Other organizations supporting fluoridation include the Alzheimer’s Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Osteopathic Association, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Surgeon General, and the World Health Organization. The Ohio Department of Health maintains a strong endorsement for fluoridating community water supplies. Its policy statement stresses that fluoridation is the single most important step a community can take to improve the dental health of its people.
“Five years ago the nation’s dental health bill was over $50 billion. Today he emphasis is on prevention rather than repair,” said Dr. Pyke.
There are two types of fluoride treatment: Topical, which is applied to the surface of the teeth to strengthen the enamel and found in tooth paste, rinses, and professionally applied fluoride gels, and systemic, which is digested from fluoridated water and incorporated to form tooth structures that strengthen enamels.
The most cost-effective method of providing protection is fluoridation, according to the American Dietetic Association, “The annual cost of adding fluoride to water is about 54¢ a person. In a lifetime, that’s about the cost of a dental filling. So you see it’s very cost effective,” said Dr. Pyke.
Tap water also costs a lot less. A gallon of Avon Lake Municipal drinking water with optimal levels of fluoride costs less than a penny a gallon, a considerable saving from the $1 a bottle or more typically charged for an 8-to-12-ounce bottle of water that has little or no fluoride.
How can you make sure you and your family are getting the right amount of fluoride protection? Check with your dentist to see if supplemental fluoride is required, especially for children seven to 16 years of age. Inform your dentist if you are relying on bottled water. If you are check the label for fluoride content. Don’t overlook home water treatment systems, such as reverse osmosis and distillation units, which may remove the fluoride from water supplies. Check the manual or contact the manufacturer if you can’t determine the device’s effect on fluoride levels. But if you are like most of us, you can make certain you are getting enough fluoride by drinking at least 8 to 10 cups of water a day from your tap.
Dr. John Pyke has been practicing dentistry in the Cuyahoga and Lorain County areas for the past four and one half years. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan, graduated from the Ohio State College of Dentistry, and completed his advanced residency at the Veterans’ Hospital here in Cleveland. He is a member of The American Dental Association, The Ohio Dental Association, and The Greater Cleveland Dental Society. Mark Christ is a part-time writer for the Avon Lake Municipal Utilities Department. For more information on fluoridation visit these web sites: www.ada.org, www.oda.org, www.odh.ohio.gov, www.avonlakedental.com.