PROPOSAL to drop fluoridation in Huntington Beach drinking water is dropped (Shutterstock).

By a Staff Writer

A proposal to stop fluoridation of drinking water in Huntington Beach sank without a trace on Tuesday night. Or maybe the idea didn’t hold water, or was considered “all wet” by the public.

In any case, a city council agenda item concerning discontinuing supplemental fluoridation was pulled before the start of the meeting.

Nevertheless, several speakers addressed the council to express their opposition to the idea.
Once resident who pursued a career in dentistry said that adding fluoride to the drinking water was especially important for less affluent families who had less access to affordable dental care.

Another cited research which indicated that communities that lacked fluoridation in their drinking water had a 25 percent higher rate of cavities and other dental problems than the average.

In the staff report that accompanied the original item, it was stated that eliminating fluoridation could save the city $160,000 annually and about $6.7 million in future capital costs.