A question for the NSW north coast at the moment.
Why put fluoride in your body when you need it on your teeth? It seems that people have strong feelings about fluoride in the water depending on their experience.
I know someone who’s passionately pro-fluoride because they grew up without fluoridated water and have terrible teeth. They believe fluoridated water would’ve made the difference.
I grew up in Sydney with fluoridated water and I also have terrible teeth. I wasn’t taught to clean my teeth as a child and early on had eight rotten teeth pulled out. In those days you didn’t have anaesthetic in hospital or even a needle. My dad held me down while the dentist pulled my teeth out. I remember screaming and blood but fortunately can’t remember the pain. Fluoride in the water did nothing for me.
I have a friend who was given fluoride tablets in primary school and a dentist came once a week and the children all cleaned their teeth together. She has nearly perfect teeth. She doesn’t think fluoride in the water is the way to go either.
Some people say we should trust the science but when it comes to human beings, the science from NSW Health has many unanswered questions. If fluoride protects children’s teeth why not simply teach them in primary school to clean their teeth with fluoride toothpaste? Why put it in the water when you can put it on the teeth?
Beth Shelley, Booerie Creek
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
