Fluoridation

Press, 25 September 1980, Page 16

Fluoridation

Sir,. — To a discerning reader, Paul. Maling’s invective (September 20)

answers his criticisms. I compared attitudes to enlightened public services, not, (as he fallaciously assumes), the services themselves. Fluoridation is most important to our children, who have little say in the matter. The child’s health, (dental, physical and mental), too often depends on the parents’ state of aware responsibility. Where individual effort is needed the child’s interests can be neglected. Fluoridation supports the child’s right to dental health. Having myself used a de-ioniser to obtain water of the highest purity, I state again that they are cheap and easy to use. “Expensive” testing is already done by the suppliers, the concerned consumer need only,ensure that the undesirable (to him) ions are removed. De-ionisers remove ions (e.g. fluoride), which make water a conducting agent; a conductivity meter need only show if the deioniser is working properlv. I have taught many highschool pupils who could build such simple meters. — Yours, etc., BART PROVO. September 23, 1980.

Sir, — One of the best things about television is the way in which it brings the wider world into our homes. Nature study programmes are among the most interesting and informative. Through them we have met —among other animals—baboons, apes and chimpanzees, who to impress their fellows are much given to opening their jaws to the fullest possible extent, showing off to them, and to us, beautiful sets of the finest chompers. These teeth quite unmarked by dental caries were grown on a natural diet, free of over-refined carbohydrate and without the benefit of fluoridated water. It is such a pity that technically advanced members of the genus “Homo sapiens” are unable to learn from and follow the lesson so simply and clearly demonstrated by their more primitive cousins. — Yours, etc., R. J. HAYTHORNTHWAITE. September 23, 1980.