Story last updated at 3/18/2010 - 10:46 am
FAIRBANKS - A committee reviewing whether fluoride should remain in the Fairbanks water supply heard arguments from both sides of the debate.
The city has been putting fluoride in the water for a half-century, but critics worry about its long-term health effects.
The Alaska Dental Society and Fluoride-Free Fairbanks each made presentations Tuesday to a panel of scientists and medical professionals who volunteered to make a recommendation to city leaders.
Dentists Jim Cerney, John Woller and Heather Willis promoted fluoride as a safe way to get the enamel-hardening substance to the community. They cited a Colorado study showing fluoridated communities collectively saved $150 million in dental costs.
But Douglas Yates and dentist Craig O'Donoghue of Fluoride-Free Fairbanks say there is no proof fluoridation has improved dental health.
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