What are fluoride concerns?

I refer to the article "No fluoride in our water" which appeared in the "Peninsula News" on July 11.

You wrote that Gosford Council's director of water and sewerage was "responding to resident concerns about the possible fluoride contamination of the Peninsula water supply."

Concerns about what?

It seems strange that people are concerned that they will have a very much reduced level of tooth decay, and that up to 20 toddlers in the Gosford area each year won't require hospitalisation for dental surgery.

Are they also concerned about saving a lot of money by not having many dentists' bills?

I would have thought that they would welcome this!

Perhaps they are concerned because of the anti-fluoridationist propaganda and scare stories which have been in the local press lately, all of which are total rubbish and would be laughable if the fluoridation issue were not so serious.

Come on.

Would Central Coast doctors, dentists and Public Health officials, as well as state and Federal governments, all be in favour of water fluoridation if they thought it was going to do all the harm that the anti-fluoridationists claim?

Wyong, Sydney and Newcastle have all been fluoridated now for almost 40 years, without any ill effect on the population except to spectacularly reduce the amount of tooth decay.

It is very rare now for people under 40 years old in these areas to require double dentures.

Bruce Stafford, Tascott