Bad Teeth in Lubbock Texas

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Right. The fluoride in the water CAUSES tooth decay. Score another one for exhaustive journalistic fact-checking. 🙂

Dentists say it. You can't argue with that logic.
 
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It actually could be due to high levels of fluoride. Fluorosis/Enamel mottling is caused by too much fluoride, a patient ends up with white flaking, brown stains and hypomineralization. Too much of anything can be bad.

Actually just found a figure in a text book citing Lubbock, Texas as having the highest levels of fluorosis. The fluoride in the water is 4.4 ppm. If I recall correctly, optimal fluoride levels are around 2 ppm
 
In my dental school they told us the same thing about too much fluoride causing hypomineralization.

I think they said the recommended fluoride level was around 1.0 ppm.
 
Yeah, optimal caries reduction with the least risk for dental fluorosis occurs at about 1ppm Fluoride in the drinking water. The EPA requires communities to de-fluorinate water supplies that are 4.5ppm or greater due to severe fluorosis. Having water at 4.4ppm Fluorine levels gives a prevalence of Fluorosis at about 85-90% (even though only about 50% of the cases will be moderate to severe). So I guess it is safe to say that it sucks to live in Lubbock if you are forming some teeth and bones.

I wonder if their level of bone breaks and hip fractures is elevated also?
 
Minneapolis and St. Paul are both in the top 10 for best dental care. Just another reason that the ADHP bill w/o restriction to non-metro areas is completely illogical.
 
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