Bottled water use causing tooth decay?

TomF

I'm posting this on Green Issues, but maybe it belongs somewhere else. Anyway, here goes.

There is an interesting article in a Canadian newspaper discussing what seems to be almost an epidemic of very bad tooth decay in Canada, and drinking of bottled water (instead of tap water with fluoride) is one of the suspect causes. It reminds me of the Ireland of a generation or so ago.

The article can be found at:

http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?id=4F677517-D6D1-4591-BF20-DA9DCD387922

Typedef

Ripper:
[with his arm around Mandrake]
"Mandrake, have you ever seen a commie drink a glass of water?"

Mandrake:
"No, Jack. I can't say that I have."

Ripper:
"Vodka. That's what they drink, isn't it? Never water?"

Mandrake:
"Well, I believe that's what they drink, Jack. Yes."

Ripper:
"On no account will a commie drink water? And not without good reason?"

Mandrake:
"I don't quite see what you're getting at, Jack."

Ripper:
"Water. That's what I'm getting at. Water, Mandrake. Water is the source of
all life. Seven-tenths of the earth's surface is water. Why, do you realize
that 70% of you is water?"

Mandrake:
[nervously, beginning to suspect that Ripper really has flipped his noggin]
"Odd."

Ripper:
"And as human beings, you and I need fresh, pure water to replenish our
precious bodily fluids."

Mandrake:
"Yes."

Ripper:
"Are you beginning to understand?"

Mandrake:
[laughing pathetically]
"Yes."

Ripper:
"Mandrake. [hugs him closer] Mandrake, have you ever wondered why I drink only
distilled water, or rain water, and only pure grain alcohol?"

Mandrake:
"Well, it did occur to me, Jack, yes."

Ripper:
"Have you ever heard of a thing called fluoridation, fluoridation of water?"

Mandrake:
"Yes, I have heard of that, Jack, yes."

Ripper:
"Well, do you know what it is?"

Mandrake:
"No."

Ripper:
. . . Do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water
-- why, there are studies under way to fluoridate salt, flour,
fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk, ice cream? Ice cream, Mandrake! --
children's ice cream!

Do you know when fluoridation first began?
. . . Nineteen hundred and forty-six. Nineteen forty-six, Mandrake.
How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh?
It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced
into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the
individual -- certainly without any choice. That's the way your
hard-core Commie works.

Yoda

I am given to understand that it was bacteria, especially sugar-fed bacteria, which caused tooth decay and gum disease.

oneweb

You put food into your mouth. The food does not put itself there.
Now that may or may not make sense, but my point is that the drinking of bottled water would not necessarilycause tooth decay. However, cases of tooth decay may rise as people drink less tap (flouridated) water.

(So referring to my opening:
tooth decay will likely happen if you don't do something, such as drinking flouridated water/milk), to stop it)

Yoda

Or brush or floss the bacteria away, or refrain from giving the bacteria sugary foods.

Water cannot cause tooth decay. Fluoridated water may kill bacteria, but the suggestion that "bottled water causes tooth decay" is quite incorrect.

mikep

I dont think the lack of Flouride in bottled water would make any difference as most toothpaste on the market contains flouride which is believed to maintain good teeth!

Typedef

Yeah but, it's all to do with the high sugar diet modern humans have, which is completely at odds to what we evolved on.

This diet corrodes the teeth at exponential rates, thus the reasoning was, implant flouride into water and do (something) to counteract an entire generation of mouths filled with fillings instead of teeth.

Yoda

Probably better to stop putting sugar in one's mouth.