Dentists and dental hygienists in Calgary, Alberta, say they are seeing rampant caries in children's teeth following a decision to remove fluoride from the Canadian city's water supply three years ago.
Sarah Hulland, DDS, a Calgary pediatric dentist who is on the board of trustees of the Alberta Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, said she's seeing "a lot more children with a lot more caries," including many 19- to 20-month babies who don't even have all their teeth in yet, according to a CBC.ca story.
Many young children need to be sedated or put under general anesthesia because of the extensive amount of needed oral treatment, she said.
Currently, there is a three-month wait to see a pediatric dentist in Calgary, compared with a month's wait when the city fluoridated its water supply, according to Dr. Hulland.
Others are quoted saying children's attention spans are affected at school, and many absences are attributed to painful oral problems.
Calgary's medical health officer wants the city to discuss restoring the fluoride program.
