From the Winter 2016 Journal of the Colorado Dental Association
2015 was quite the year for community water fluoridation in Colorado. The year wrapped up with two more victories and a big win for fluoride with the launch of a Colorado website and resource tool.
In the small mountain town of Hayden, west of Steamboat Springs, voters rejected a ballot question by more than 57 percent that would have reversed the community’s long-standing policy of fluoridating its water. Dr. Sheena Schoch, other local dentists, hygienists and health advocates worked together on the campaign, which from accounts in the Steamboat Pilot newspaper was a “contentious issue for Hayden residents.” Much of the campaign focused on person-to-person outreach at community events, yard signs and letters to the local newspapers.
Snowmass, outside of Aspen, wrangled with fluoridation throughout the fall after the Snowmass Water and Sanitation District board decided to stop fluoridating the resort community’s water this past summer. The CDA worked with local dentist Dr. Karina Redko to run ads in a local newspaper to help educate the community about fluoride’s benefits, safety and effectiveness.
Due to several outreach efforts, the Snowmass water board agreed to conduct a mail-in survey to gauge community opinion on fluoridation, and found that 64 percent of customers who returned the survey wanted fluoride added back to the water. The board, at its October meeting, reversed its earlier decision by a 3-2 vote after more than two hours of public comment by more than 20 individuals, including customers, dentists and health providers.
As we move into 2016, Durango’s utility commission, which manages the area’s drinking water, is reviewing its policy after a community formally asked the city to remove fluoride. The commissioners have already heard a presentation from opponents of fluoridation and is planning a listening session with proponents—including local dentists and health professionals—in January.
Much of the CDA’s work on fluoridation has been done with several partners including the American Dental Association (ADA), Oral Health Colorado (OHCO) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), as well as community-based dentists, health professionals, health coalition and fluoridation supporters.
The CDA, OHCO and CDPHE now make up a “rapid response team” that works together to manage and engage on local fluoridation issues. This team approach ensures a common message and the best use of the resources of each organization and its members.
The ongoing fluoridation issues across Colorado—which have stretched from Loveland to Denver and across to Montrose—prompted the CDA and OHCO to take the lead to develop an online tool for Colorado to better educate elected officials, community members and supporters about community water fluoridation.
The Colorado Fluoride Facts website—COFluorideFacts.org—launched in December. It was written and designed with collaboration from the ADA and OHCO. The CDPHE provided data used on the site as well.
Some of the key features on the site include:
• In Your Community—This section includes a hotlink to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “My Water’s Fluoride” online tool that allows for searches by state, county and water provider. It shows fluoridation levels and statistics about each water system. This section also instructs visitors on how to contact Colorado’s “rapid response team” about getting involved and supporting fluoridation.
• Fluoride Champions—This resource includes quotes and other information from the many community water fluoridation champions in Colorado, the U.S. and the world. Respected organizations, health experts, scientists, political leaders and other trusted voices are featured here.
• Know the Facts—This section features the key information needed to understand both the safety and effectiveness of fluoridation. Through several different pages, visitors can learn the science and health benefits of fluoride, fluoridation’s history in the U.S. and Colorado, and answers to the many questions that frequently arise in fluoridation debates. This section also includes a comprehensive FAQ and short articles on the how fluoridation makes good financial and business sense.
The Colorado Fluoride Facts website will be mobile and tablet friendly so elected officials and advocates can read and use the information during public meetings, hearings and other venues where fluoridation is debated. In addition, the site is paired with both Facebook and Twitter to help maximize outreach in communities involved in fluoridation issues/debates.
Please be sure to visit the site and use it when you are talking to patients, community members and policymakers about fluoridation.