Fluoridation Rollback in Park Hills by DR. JOHN DANE, STATE DENTAL DIRECTOR L
et’s take a moment and celebrate! On October 13, 2020, the City Council of Park Hills, Mo. voted to retain water fluoridation in their city. This is a celebration because this is a reversal of a trend of discon- tinuing fluoridation that has been occurring for some time.
In Missouri before the Fluoridation Notification Statute (RSMo 640.136) went into effect in 2016, water operators could quit adding fluoride to their city’s water whenever they felt the urge—for any or no reason and without notification. Over a period of 20 years, some 70 systems had quit fluoridating (rollback) without notifying the Department of Natural Resources or the De- partment of Health and Senior Services. Re- cently, Missouri had two notable rollbacks in Battlefield and Houston, where approximately 30,000 people lost fluoridated drinking wa- ter—resulting in a 1.8 percent decrease in the percentage of the state population drinking
fluoridated water. The anti-fluoridationists are organized in Missouri and will continue to be active in the future. To help bring aware- ness to the issue, here are a few simple things you can do in your practice.
• First, let your patients know you support community water fluoridation (CWF). Talk to patients about CWF directly, have a poster in your office about CWF, and have educational materials available. The Office of Dental Health (ODH) has educational materials that are free to order; contact ODH at 573-751-5874 or
oralhealth@health.mo.gov to request.
• Second, take a tour of the water treatment plant in your city. You and your staff will benefit from learn- ing how the safe water reaches your tap, and it lets the water department know you are interested in CWF. Visit ODH’s fluoridation webpage (health.
mo.gov/living/families/oralhealth/
waterfluoridation.php) for information and links to additional resources.
• Finally, attend training related to fluo- ridation. The Southeast Dental Society offered a free course November 12 that was recorded and be accessed at
youtu.be/PqRWyXOYJW8. Contact the ODH if you would like a free CE program for your component society or study club. ODH would be happy to make the arrangements.
MEMBERS New Members
The MDA welcomes these new/reinstated members (to November 18):
CENTRAL
Adam Gadbois, Columbia (Touro Coll of Dent Med at NYMC 20) Amanda Morgenthal, Columbia (Touro Coll of Dent Med at NYMC 20)
GREATER KANSAS CITY Ashkaan Bahreini, Kansas City (Univ of OK 18) Mary Becker, Lee’s Summit (Univ of TX School of Dent, Houston 17) Shawn Boehm, Kansas City (UMKC 18) Stefanie Curtis, Kansas City (SIU 20) Trevor Given, Warrensburg (Univ of Louisville 20) Marion Harris, Kansas City (Meharry Med Coll 15) Greg Lohr, Lee’s Summit (UMKC 14) Ryan Ochsner, Kansas City (UMKC 20) Keerthana Satheesh, Kansas City (UMKC 05) Dishani Shah, Kansas City (Univ of MI 20) Austin Stehl, Kansas City (UMKC 19) Chris Wenburg, Kansas City (Univ of NE 06)
GREATER ST LOUIS Espir Abaji, Bridgeton (NY Univ 20) Isabela Aguirre, Arnold (Tufts Univ 20) Sara Alterman, Washington (Tufts Univ 20) Kameris Austin-Biggs, Arnold (SIU 20) Chyrelle Blount, Festus (Loma Linda Univ 96) Roxanne Dudovitz, O’Fallon (SIU 20) Courtney Ethington, Chesterfield (Univ of KY 17) Oluwole Fadahunsi, St. Louis (Univ of PA 15) Sarah Giacomini, St. Charles (SIU 20) Michael Greaves, St. Louis (UMKC 17) Maya Habibi, St. Peters (SIU 20) Dave Hatch, Festus (ATSU-MOSDOH 18) Michelle Heal, Fenton (ATSU-AZSDOH 20) Manogna Katakam, Wildwood (Univ of the Pacific 13) Merna Megalla, St. Louis (Canada-Univ of Toronto 20) Beth Morrey, St. Louis (UMKC 13) Ken Ngo, Ballwin (Western Univ 20) Sheshaben Shah, St. Louis (Univ of TN 18) Karlton Smith, St. Louis (UMKC 19) Justin Sorensen, St. Louis (Midwestern Univ 17) Jamie Terrill, St. Louis (SIU 20) Theodore Tutwiler, St. Louis (Univ of AL 17)
GREATER SPRINGFIELD Sarah Jackson, Springfield (Texas A&M Univ 20) Padma Priya Kandala, Hermitage (Univ of MI 19) Trent Madsen, Springfield (ATSU-AZSDOH 20) Kristin Oliver, Clever (UMKC 13)
Michonne Parker, Lebanon (Meharry Med Coll 18) Darius Sanford, Springfield (Univ of Louisville 20) Preston Thomas, Mountain Grove (UMKC 20) Tommy Thompson, Ridgedale (UMKC 81)
NORTHWEST Shea Durington, St. Joseph (UMKC 18) Michael Vandello, Chillicothe (Univ of IA 13)
SOUTHEAST Srinivas Challa, Poplar Bluff (Boston Univ 07) Cory McLeod, Webb City (Univ of UT 20)
SOUTHWEST Linda Niessen, Dallas, Texas (Harvard Univ 77)
The MDA expresses its condolences for these deceased members (to November 18):
GREATER ST LOUIS William McHugh, St. Louis (SLU 64) died September 14, 2020.
SOUTHEAST Michael Bennett, Cape Girardeau (UMKC 75) died October 5, 2020.
ISSUE 6 | NOV/DEC 2020 | focus 15
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