Board of Health Fluoride Public Hearing Coming Monday

The information below was supplied by the Wayland Board of Health.

The Town of Wayland has been adding fluoride to town water for the past 13 years. This practice, known as Community Water Fluoridation, has been recommended by the Division of Oral Health at the Centers for Disease Control as a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay.

Since we began adding supplemental fluoride to our well water, the scientific literature on the health effects of fluoride exposure has evolved.  While the CDC position on Community Water Fluoridation remains the same, recent studies have called into question the safety of excessivefluoride exposure in children.    Given the weight of this new scientific evidence, and the widespread availability of alternative topical fluoride sources (toothpaste, mouth rinses), the Wayland Board of Health is considering suspending the Community Water Fluoridation program.  

The Board of Health plans for a public hearing to be held on July 8, 2013 at 7 p.m. at the Wayland Town Building, 41 Cochituate Road, Wayland, MA.  The meeting room location will be posted. Residents who would like to provide comment should plan to attend the public hearing. If residents have comments and  are not able to attend the hearing please provide a letter to the Board of Health or email your comments for the Board to Public Health Director Julia Junghanns jjunghanns@wayland.ma.us. 

The Health Department will be soon posting information regarding Community Water Fluoridation on their website in preparation for the hearing,  www.wayland.ma.us, click on Health Department.