Fall 24 www.nvda.org 19 Winter 2012–2013 www.nvda.org 5 Editor’s Message Daniel L. Orr II, DDS, MS (anesth), PhD, JD, MD [email protected] Dr. Orr practices Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in Las Vegas, is a Clinical Professor of Surgery & Anesthesiology for Dentistry at UNSOM, Professor and Director of OMS at UNLV SDM, and is a member of the California Bar. He can be reached at [email protected] “Perhaps one of you gentlemen would mind telling me just what it is outside the window that you all find so attractive…? Cartoon reprinted with permission Featured Article Reprint Trust me… It’s good for you. There is no question that if my community’s water supply had been fluoridated, Dr. Stratico would have had much less opportunity to treat carious lesions in my own A, B, G, H, I, J, S and T. He restored as necessary, with functional mercury alloy amalgam, every deciduous molar that had the temerity to erupt into my mouth, where frosted flakes regularly competed with chocolate bars for nutritional supremacy. If given the option of drinking fluoridated water with the promise that fewer cavities would be filled, I would have voted “yes” as a child. In dental school, the knowledge about the benefits of fluoridated community water supplies are, like fluoride into teeth, dutifully absorbed into student cerebra. The degree of altruism involved in organized dentistry’s support for the elimination of so many profitable restorations via fluoridation has likely prompted even St. Apollonia to smile perfectly resurrected teeth from her saintly sphere, even if debt ridden dental students get just a bit concerned about lost MOD revenue. Who couldn’t help but wonder though, if fluoridation is such a great idea, why have so many voters been opposed to it over the years and even during the recent presidential election?1 After reviewing the dental school dogma (fluoride is naturally occurring, will be carefully monitored, etc.), those dentists in the know often opine that anyone who doesn’t agree with fluoridation has to be irrational to some degree. A problem is that some of the opposition, a few dentists included, who warn of fluoride-related cancer, CNS, orthopedic, or renal pathology, don’t sound that illogical. Parents probably notice that dentists now advise that children drinking fluoridated water need to be careful with the use of fluoride toothpaste, prescriptions, trays (don’t swallow!) and other sources of the second most attractive (chlorine is first) oxidizer. »
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