Fluoridation and Toxicity Issues - Assignment Example

Fluoridation is related to the issue of fluorosis. Fluoridation might result in the darkening of the teeth or dental fluorosis and may even affect the gums (The Debate over Adding Fluoride in Our Water, 2013). This will result in something like what American researchers called the Colorado Brown Stain, which was a result of excessive use of fluoride and which affected some children from 1909 to 1915. Moreover, the darkening of the teeth was not related to tooth decay (The Story of Fluoridation, 2011).

In a study by Parnell et al. (2009), there have been 88 studies that revealed that fluorosis may be derived from drinking water treated with fluoride. Fluoride consumption in drinking water may also be associated with problems concerning the health of the skeletal system. The most common is a bone fracture (Limeback, 2000). The most common of these bone fracture types are hip fracture (Diesendorf et al., 1997). Moreover, data from 29 studies prove that long-term consumption of drinking water with fluoride can result in a bone fracture (Parnell et al., 2009).  Indeed, even though these studies are mostly from the United States, it does not change the fact that the potentially harmful effects of fluoride can happen to any group of people in the world as long as they are exposed to relatively large amounts of the chemical in water.

The third and perhaps most difficult concern, which I hope Dr. Nokes will bring up and clarify, is that an excess of fluoride in the human body is simply “detrimental to long-term dental and overall health” (The Debate over Adding Fluoride in Our Water, 2013). This is indeed very alarming because people are not familiar with the standard amount of fluoride that a human body must take in as well as the maximum levels of the chemical that the body can handle. Although the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States points out 4 mg/L as the standard maximum tolerable amount of fluoride that Americans can take in, the data may be slightly higher or lower in New Zealand (The Debate over Adding Fluoride in Our Water, 2013).

Moreover, if people continually consume fluoridated water, it means that an individual may be exposed to levels of fluoride that may exceed the limits that can be tolerated by the human body. Therefore, the question is how can someone know if he has already taken in enough fluoride that he needs? More importantly, the other question is what someone can do if he is exposed to levels of fluoride that exceeds the recommended dietary intake before the harmful consequences like bone fracture can harm him.

Therefore, before the referendum is to be conducted by the Hamilton City Council, then some information should b brought to the attention of the people first. This information, which I believe the government would choose to conceal, is all about the rumored and the confirmed disadvantages of consuming water with fluoride. The citizens should therefore be informed about both the advantages and disadvantages of using fluoridated water. This is the only useful information that is needed by the citizens.

As of now, the only people who could help out when it comes to the dissemination of this information to the public should be the concerned groups of people who are against the fluoridation of water. Moreover, the citizens themselves should not remain passive and should therefore conduct thrown rethrown the matter and should try to independently decide for themselves and their children whether the use of fluoride on the water the r is indeed beneficial to their health or not. Based on the data that was just mentioned, I assume that there would be some incidence of fluorosis among those who will be exposed to excessive levels of fluoride in drinking water, although I believe the local government can deal with this right away.

The only way to test the hypothesis is to wait for whatever happens. The best way to take action is to choose to drink water without fluoride in another city unless all the water in the country has been fluoridated. Another way to take action is to protest by writing with the help of the local government in case some harmful effects of water break out. The problem is that many people should be affected first before any concrete action should be taken or before any complaint can be made. From the referendum, I am expecting that the city will vote for the fluoridation of water and I assume that the people would agree with it considering that people would usually think that their local government is on their side and would know their sentiments.

However, I am expecting a lot of negative things that will come out of this, although I am not expecting an outbreak of fluorosis but perhaps a few cases related to it. Nevertheless, I will be waiting for Dr. Nokes's speech for perhaps only he can change my mind towards fluoridation.