Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public-health director and local physician urge Monroe to keep water fluoridation
Summary
Green County public health director Rowan Warden and a local family physician said fluoride at recommended levels is safe and reduces dental decay, arguing it provides equal preventive care access for children who cannot obtain regular dental services.
Rowan Warden, Green County public health director, told the board the county provided the city with materials summarizing the benefits of community water fluoridation and offered to answer questions. Warden noted that public-health associations recommend a level near 0.7 parts per million for community water systems.
Dr. Kelsey Schmidt, a family medicine physician who treats Monroe residents, told the board that fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral and that "at the level that the community water program is providing, it is not causing any toxic effects." Schmidt argued that water fluoridation helps ensure children who cannot access regular dental visits still receive preventive benefit.
