Gov't: People may be getting too much fluoride

(MAIZE, Kan.) — For many Kansans around the state -- your water is about to change. More than 60 Kansas communities fluoridate their public water.  But residents probably won't even notice the difference.
     
On Friday, the federal government announced new regulations for cities which add fluoride to their public water.  It will drop its recommended limit to .7 milligrams per liter of water, down from as high as 1.2.

"We do our formula bottles, we do our jugs daily for the children to drink water from, we wipe our tables down," recited Jill Jordan.  

As a director at Country Child Care in Maize, Jordan knows firsthand how important water is to people.  "We use water everyday," she said.  "Without water, we would not be able to run smoothly."

Water, like the kids, is just about everywhere.  "We brush our teeth, we wash our hands, and wash faces," she said. "So water's pretty critical for us."

The water that comes out of the Country Child Care faucet comes from the pipes Matt Meeks maintains around Maize.  Since 2003, the city has fluoridated; mixing the chemical fluoride into the public water supply.

"The recommended dosing," said Meeks, "before this week, was .9 parts per million to 1.0 parts per million."

The government chose to drop the levels because some children began to develop spots on their teeth, because fluoride is now more prevalent.  It can be found in toothpaste, mouthwash, and supplement.

Meeks, and the city of Maize, lowered the fluoride levels on Friday, in light of the government's recommendations.  He did it with the simple turn of a dial.  "It's a calibrated pump with a knob on it," he said.  "I'll just turn it and change the setting."

As easy as it was to change, he says it'll be much more difficult for anyone to notice.  "It's tasteless, odorless," he shrugged.  Even those with picky palates, like those at a day care, shouldn't notice.

"I've heard several different things," said Jordan.  "You know, there's always that controversy of too much fluoride, too little fluoride.   I think, as long as its regulated, we should be fine."
     
With as much water as they use, Country Child Care says it will be fine with a little less fluoride.