this post was submitted on 28 Mar 2025
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On the plus side, I smell a great opportunity for a longitudinal population study. 🤔

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[–] Stalinwolf@lemmy.ca 124 points 4 days ago (3 children)

They did this in Calgary and then everyone's teeth went tits up.

[–] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 21 points 4 days ago

Which province has the worse teeth? Quebec

Which province has the worst access to water with fluoride? Quebec

But it might also be the maple syrup...

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[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 56 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Time to invest in dentists i guess

[–] adarza@lemmy.ca 13 points 4 days ago (1 children)

or be the first to add fluoride to bottled water, or 'import' tap water from elsewhere, for sale in the state.

i remember seeing bottled city of houston water on shelves in san antonio grocery stores back in the 1990s. san antionio was then, and until ~2002, the largest u.s. city without fluoridated water.

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I've got a great idea. What if we thicken up the flouride water into a plaster-like consistency so the people hesitant to swallow it can put it directly on their teeth? We could even sell little brushes to make it easier!

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[–] orclev@lemmy.world 55 points 4 days ago (7 children)

There are two ways to prevent tooth decay. First is the easy way which is to put fluoride in the drinking water. It's easy and protects everyone, but particularly the poorer segments of the population that might struggle with things like preventative dentist appointments.

The second way is the hard way which is to modify your diet to avoid foods high in sugars and carbs and to prefer more proteins and fiber. This is the approach some European countries take.

If you do neither you will get significantly increased rates of tooth decay.

[–] griff@lemmings.world 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

how about adding full dental coverage to Medicaid & Medicare?

[–] podperson@lemm.ee 11 points 4 days ago

US health insurance don't cover no luxury bones!

[–] tamal3@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I eat very healthily! I just love plain grapefruit to a ridiculous degree!

[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago (6 children)

Plain fruit is literally fructose sugar, citric and ascorbic acid and some fiber plus a little Roundup mixed with the wax coating.

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[–] Sweetpeaches69@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

The irony here is that the Mormons in Utah LOVE sodas because it's the only thing they can have. Tons of them are literally addicted to soda.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 4 points 4 days ago

What if we start putting flouride in the junk food 🤔?

[–] Ooops@feddit.org 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Actually lots of areas in Europe tested fluoride in water locally at some point. But they never found convincing evidence of this being preferably to getting fluoride the "classic way" (personalized in small doses already included in toothpaste).

Are USians not brushing their teeth? Or have they changed the toothpaste formulas to exclude fluoride, too, now?

[–] orclev@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago

Fluoride in toothpaste does help as well but it only does so much, and yes some toothpaste brands also don't include fluoride. To get the most out of fluoridated toothpaste you need to pair it with a better diet. Most Americans eat a diet that's incredibly heavy in sugars and carbs as compared to Europe. That's part of the reason why many European countries found little benefit to adding fluoride to their drinking water, their rates of tooth decay were already significantly less than in the US due mostly to dietary differences.

[–] Hawke@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago (6 children)

It is possible to get fluoride-free toothpaste but it’s a bit of a niche/specialty item.

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[–] MushuChupacabra@lemmy.world 46 points 4 days ago

Invest in anything and everything related to tooth decay management.

Reality doesn't give a fuck about opinions.

You'll make money.

Them luxury bones are gonna get even more luxury.

[–] SaladKing@lemm.ee 26 points 3 days ago

If you are dentist in the area or plan to be a dentist you are about to make big money in the next few years.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 22 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This is why I only drink grain alcohol and rainwater.

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[–] Zedstrian@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I guess when their teeth start falling out they'll just say that it's god's will for them to have less teeth. 🙄

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[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 18 points 4 days ago

You see, the brilliant part of this is that the leopards drink the same water. It's going to make it a lot harder for them to eat everyone's faces if their teeth are all rotted out.

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 17 points 4 days ago

I guess it’s a good time to be a dentist in Utah. They’ll have tons of new cavities to fill.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago

Their loss. Of teeth. Our should I say "loff", just to show them their future?

[–] MTK@lemmy.world 17 points 4 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

DISCLAIMER: This is only true to the population that does take care of their teeth, which means that it will actually negatively affect some people in a serious way.

While stopping the usage of fluoride in water is a bad decision that will lead to people having more dental issues, I would like to say that there are other developed nations that don't have fluoride in their water and it's not the end of the world. Because in modern times people use toothpaste and dental floss and have all of this routine that most people do twice a day, the fluoride in the water is not nearly as significant as that routine.

I don't have the research right now but I do remember that I once dove into it and most of the studies are pretty old and the dental hygiene that we have today did not exist to the same degree and therefore fluoride in the water was a more significant additive.

[–] derpgon@programming.dev 23 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You'd be surprised how many people don't brush their teeth, let alone twice a day, and let alone floss. Those who do the correct shit will probably not feel the difference, those who don't will lose the only protection they had left.

[–] MTK@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

Yeah, it will definitely hurt some populations a lot.

I take it back.

Rural dental care is notoriously poor in the US. Also, for some ridiculous reasons, dental care is treated separately from medical care when it comes to insurance. I know people who can't afford to go to the dentist and one who is lucky to have access to low cost dental school care. Putting fluoride in water at least helps those who don't or can't take good care of their teeth.

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Yeah, I was actually wondering if it's still necessary if every toothpaste already has fluoride in it. It's probably still better to keep adding it just in case, since there's no real downside to doing it. But I guess we'll see in a generation what the long term effect is.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

It's absolutely still necessary. There's a hundred reasons someone isn't brushing their teeth and it's a crucial support for them.

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[–] MyOpinion@lemm.ee 16 points 4 days ago

The coming dental apocalypse will be something to behold.

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 15 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

You've seen the Kansas Experiment. Now get ready for the Utah Study.

[–] sparky@lemmy.federate.cc 15 points 4 days ago

The Golden Plates didn’t say anything about teeth, so it’s fine, right?

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Going to be some Nazi Mormons walking around with some busted ass teeth

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 4 points 3 days ago

That Petrified Forest smile.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 14 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Where do I buy stocks to invest in dental companies?

[–] j0ester@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

Red states even use dental?

[–] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago

These fucks deserve what's coming. I say that with multiple relatives in Utah

[–] Delta_V@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

thoughts and prayers for their tooth

So will they back this up with affordable public dental care? Don't bother answering that.

[–] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Asked an AI about this in general:

Prior to this law, only 66 out of 484 water systems in Utah practiced fluoridation, with Salt Lake City being the largest municipality affected.

Woah.

(Source AI chose: https://apnews.com/article/utah-fluoride-ban-43f67153beb3e06ada9d782655fb15de )

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[–] Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 4 days ago

This is the same state that brought us dirty soda, i.e. take some soda and add even more syrups and cream. Try and convince me this isn't some grand conspiracy by a shadowy cabal of dentists.

[–] commander@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

It is sad in states with poor public health the condition you see people's teeth. There's always those that can afford dental care. Poor people can practice good habits but being able to see a dentist for a regular checkup/cleaning gives chance to be pestered to brush well, floss, etc. Utah teeth will look on average worse in the following decade

[–] aseriesoftubes@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

What a time to be a Mormon dentist!

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