Your teeth and teeth of millions to come may have done well in the vote this year.
Communities in Colorado, California and Illinois are following Philadelphia in imposing a tax on soda and tobacco! Drinks with at least 5 grams of added sweetener per 12 oz are being taxed. The votes won by a 2:1 margin. So we can all have some good feelings about the vote.
California dental director will receive $30 Million per year, which is a tenfold increase in their revenues to help institute dental programs to help the needy and the public in general.
Proponents of the plan are excited about reducing obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay.
Some of us might be happy to know that alcoholic beverages were not affected by this tax!
Cheers!!! To that!
The personal and societal benefits of deterring people from sugar and tobacco usage are huge and and many of the dentists in the communities were the people working hardest to make the changes.
It has historically been the same in the fluoride arena. Dentists have been the driving forces behind community fluoridation, which has been one of the greatest municipal healthcare initiatives EVER!
Misinformation about fluoridated water has caused it to be removed from many water supplies over the years. Coincidentally, for the first time in the past few years we have seen an increase in the incidence of decay. The other driving forces behind this has been the increased consumption of sugary drinks, including sports drinks which are just as dangerous as soda, and more people drinking bottled or filtered water that has no fluoride in it.
Out here in Bryn Mawr and the Main Line the water is not fluoridated. Something else we need to work on!!
Some of the misinformation about fluoridated water was based on research in areas that had naturally fluoridated concentrations multiples higher than recommended levels.
The other serious concern about fluoride is industrial wastes that have super high levels of fluoride dumped in, and contaminating local water supplies, once again at levels much in excess than recommended levels.
So, our mouths made out well in the election of 2016!
Great news, right?