The topic of fluoride is heating up once again, one week after the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners voted to remove fluoride from the county’s drinking water.
“As a parent, I was in a situation where I did not have enough fluoride in the water for my child, and because of that, I gave her fluoride pills—just so you understand the importance of fluoride,” said Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease specialist.
Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, who sponsored the fluoride removal item, attended the meeting and responded to tensions during the discussion. “We’re having a conversation, you don’t have to get upset, ma’am. Dialogue is good. Dialogue is good,” he said.
Mayor brings together health experts
The roundtable, organized by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, brought together dentists, doctors, health experts and parents for a public discussion on the fluoridation of the county’s water supply.
Levine Cava, who holds veto power over commission decisions, said she is still gathering information before making a final decision.
“My current very unequivocal medical studies, this level has proven to be effective and safe, and the consequences of removing it seem to be quite severe,” said the mayor.
Commissioner says he’s listening
Commissioner Gonzalez said he wasn’t aware of the roundtable until it had already started but came to hear the concerns firsthand.
“I got to say, I found out about it five minutes into the meeting. I came here and I’m here to listen to the discussion. The more conversations we have, the better,” he said.
When asked whether what she heard changed her perspective on fluoride, Levine Cava replied, “I really feel that what we’ve heard today is very clear and very definitive and I’m still weighing my options.”
