‘A reason for optimism’: How fighting for community water fluoridation draws support at every level of organized dentistry
Sara Stuefen, D.D.S., a dentist practicing in Iowa and the 10th District trustee of the ADA, detailed how the dental community has come together to advocate for the safety and efficacy of community water fluoridation.
In an opinion piece from the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association, Dr. Stuefen explained that once she became aware of a proposal to end community water fluoridation in her community, she felt an ethical obligation to defend the practice and took action to prepare her response at an upcoming city council meeting.
After reaching out to the ADA and Iowa Dental Association, Dr. Stuefen was connected with a network of professionals who demonstrated the organization’s readiness to respond to issues that could threaten public health. She noted that the ADA provided talking points, helped her refine her strategy and identified key stakeholders who could help back the effort to preserve water fluoridation in her community. The IDA helped coordinate state-level advocacy and support.
The response mobilization included the in-person attendance of dental and public health professionals at the city council meeting and written letters from proponents of community water fluoridation — including local experts as well as state and national organizations such as the ADA. The letters underscored data on the oral health benefits of the practice, while in-person testimonies highlighted research on the practice’s efficacy and warned of the public health burden of dental decay that could result from removing access to fluoridated drinking water.
For instance, experts shared a comparison between two communities with and without access to fluoridated drinking water, illustrating that those residing in the area that did not practice community water fluoridation had more than twice the likelihood of experiencing dental decay. Dr. Stuefen spoke about her ethical obligation to provide evidence-based oral health information to patients and stressed that oral health extends beyond the mouth.
As a result of the overwhelming support for community water fluoridation, the city council decided to decline the proposal and continue the practice.
“Challenges to fluoridation will likely continue for years to come. For that reason, I hope this story offers encouragement: If this issue arises in your town or state, there is support available, and there is reason for optimism,” Dr. Stuefen concluded. “Together [the tripartite] accomplished what no single group could have achieved alone. In that moment, the tripartite demonstrated its power and its purpose.”
Read more: Journal of the Michigan Dental Association
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