Posts from — June 2009

I just finished reading “The Book of Negroes.” It is historical fiction and follows an African woman named Aminata Diallo from the time she born through to her dying days in England. She is one of the African “Adventurers.” Labeled such because of her travel (mostly as a slave) from her small community in Africa to the Carolinas to New York to Nova Scotia back to Africa (Freetown, Sierra Leone) and finally to England.The author, Lawrence Hill, has done his research and by telling us Aminata’s story he fairly accurately tells the story of those Africans who were torn from their homes and sold into the slave trade. The part of the story that deals with the loyalist blacks who came to Nova Scotia to escape slavery in the States is a bit of Canadian history seldom told. Lawrence Hill lives in Burlington, Ontario and has written a number of books. You can read about him on his web page www.lawrencehill.com  It is an easy and often compelling read and I would highly recommend it.

Tooth decay is the most widespread and costly oral health problem among people of all ages. Statistics from the Thunder Bay District Health Unit show that tooth decay in five year old children in Thunder Bay has increased by almost 30% in 8 years. Credible scientificic research has shown that water fluoridation can reduce tooth decay in children’s teeth from 20 – 40%.

Children aren’t the only ones with dental decay — research has also shown that water fluoridation can reduce tooth decay in adults’ teeth by 27%.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named fluoridation of drinking water one of ten great public health achievements of the 20th century. At the World Dental Congress in 2008, 130 countries signed their support of water fluoridation.

Of the thousands of credible scientific studies on fluoridation, none has shown health problems associated with the consumption of optimally fluoridated water. Those are the key words “optimally fluoridated” — many of the concerns we hear about fluoride are referring to naturally occurring fluoride which is uncontrolled at very high levels. The Health Unit is looking to add a small amount of carefully controlled fluoride to our water to create a health benefit.

Water fluoridation is the least expensive way to reduce tooth decay and improve oral health for everyone. For every $1 spent on water fluoridation, approximately $38 is saved on dental treatment costs. The Canadian Dental Association and the Canadian Medical Association encourage using fluoride in municipal water supply systems as a way of safely reducing cavities and preventing dental disease. Did you know that dental disease is the main reasons for preschool children to have general anesthetic? Is this what we want for our children?