Bad Data Leads to Bad Decisions

Robert F. Kennedy,  Jr.,  our Health and Human Services Secretary,  has stopped our government from recommending fluoridation of drinking water,  based on false theories that it might do harm. 

Fluoridating water at the concentrations we have historically used,  prevents a significant portion of tooth decay,  without any known harm.  You use just enough to be effective.  The data shows this to be true.    

The water fluoridation risk is really all about yellow or brown stains on your teeth with too much fluoridation,  versus enhanced rates of tooth decay with too little.  There are no other scientifically-known side effects except those stains!  

Kennedy is entitled to his own opinion,  but he is NOT ENTITLED to his own “facts”!   There really is such a thing as “absolute scientific fact”! 

Using too much of anything can do harm,  as also can using too little!  A case in point is life-sustaining oxygen itself:  too little causes death!  No one denies that!   But,  too much also causes harm,  up to and including death!  You really do need an adequate amount!  And the range of adequate values is known!

Earth’s air has volume 20.94% oxygen,  corresponding to about 0.21 atmosphere partial pressure,  out of 1.0 atmosphere total at sea level.  We do fine up to 40% oxygen in hospital oxygen masks,  but anything above that 0.21 atmosphere is an enhanced fire danger.  People do just fine very long-term from there all the way up to 8,000-9000 foot elevations,  where the oxygen partial pressure is about 0.15 atmosphere. 

Long-term,  that suggests that 0.155 to 0.21 atmosphere partial pressure of oxygen is quite safe.  Short-term,   both lower and higher values are known to be safe from flying experiences using vented pure oxygen masks.  Those range from about 0.14 to about 0.8 atmosphere partial pressure of oxygen.  Too little is too little,  and too much is too much.  So you stay in the range known to be adequate.

So also it is with fluoridation of water.  Kennedy cannot make good decisions based on bad information!  No one else can,  either.  He’s also wrong about vaccines,  and for the same reason:  false beliefs!

I vote with science,  which has proven to be self-correcting,  even when what was thought to be true has instead proven to be wrong.  Politicians who spout false narratives like Kennedy CANNOT claim that!!!