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Thread: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

  1. #41
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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post
    This reminds me of the Fawlty Towers epsiode with the dead pigeons in the water tank - not that I'm suggesting that tank water is anything but pure. A dash of atmospheric pollution, a soupcon of bird plop etc. will help to keep it "pure".

    The dead pigeon would have to fit in the closed circuit, of roof to grated guttering... to closed water tank.... but hey... makes for good TV.

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    Registered User Feelingpink's Avatar
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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post
    It was announced fairly recently that water fluoridation is being introduced to Queensland soon as well. Nice to see a politician listening to the dentists/scientists for once!
    Water fluoridation isn't the only way of improving dental health. (Sigh!). Bring back Joh! (Not sure if you're old enough to get the reference )

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post
    It's the other way around - only really expensive reverse osmosis water treatment systems remove flouride, so it isn't that easy to make the choice. Normal household filters don't remove flouride ions. However water produced by reverse osmosis systems tastes cr*p compared with normal tap water - it's all the extra dissolved stuff in tap water that gives it some "body" and makes it taste better.
    So in one paragraph you're congratulating the Queensland government on putting fluoride in the water and in the second, you're saying how this decision gives people virtually no choice about taking fluoride?

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    Lovely Moderator ducasi's Avatar
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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    From what I've read, fluoride in water does improve children's dental health. However, it makes absolutely no difference to adult dental health.

    I'd suggest the best way to deliver the beneficial fluoride to children is in juices and drinks aimed specifically at children. Time for a Sunny D comeback?
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by ducasi View Post
    I'd suggest the best way to deliver the beneficial fluoride to children is in juices and drinks aimed specifically at children. Time for a Sunny D comeback?
    That would be like adding statins to a big mac and fries

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by Martin View Post
    If you are in a town house (row of houses - think coronation street for the UK), strata (leasehold - for the UK) then there is probably not enough roof space to make it viable. [I did not want to go into the whole detail of strata, as it is different in the UK and I was trying to make it UK relevant]

    My point being, if you do have more roof space than this... rainwater tanks are something to consider...
    point of information: coronation street is merely terraced houses; town houses more properly applies to terraced properties of 3 or more floors, and usually with an externally-accessible below-ground floor as well.

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post
    This reminds me of the Fawlty Towers epsiode with the dead pigeons in the water tank - not that I'm suggesting that tank water is anything but pure. A dash of atmospheric pollution, a soupcon of bird plop etc. will help to keep it "pure".

    Do people aware that using a water filter does little apart from providing a psychological effect? The activated carbon filter won't last that long, and the solid bits don't really do a lot except soften the water a bit (which takes some of the flavour out).
    You mean, I hope, other than filtering out the calcium carbonate which would otherwise cause limescale in, e.g., kettles? 'cos filters are excellent at that. The kettle here in the office scales up in a couple of weeks - noticeable at the moment as it has recently been replaced - whereas mine at home is scale-free after a couple of years.

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by ducasi View Post
    From what I've read, fluoride in water does improve children's dental health. However, it makes absolutely no difference to adult dental health.

    I'd suggest the best way to deliver the beneficial fluoride to children is in juices and drinks aimed specifically at children. Time for a Sunny D comeback?
    I tried sunny D once. It was like I imagined orange juice would taste after shovelling in several dessertspoonfuls of sugar and a large jugful of olive oil. Bleagh. Oh, and then taking out most of the orange.

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by Martin View Post
    The dead pigeon would have to fit in the closed circuit, of roof to grated guttering... to closed water tank.... but hey... makes for good TV.
    You say it is a closed system, but what happens if a galah happend to die on your roof. You've got a dead galah starting to rot, it rains, and bits of the partially decomposed galah gets washed into your tank Doesn't sound that pure to me?


    Quote Originally Posted by Feelingpink View Post
    Water fluoridation isn't the only way of improving dental health. (Sigh!). Bring back Joh! (Not sure if you're old enough to get the reference )

    So in one paragraph you're congratulating the Queensland government on putting fluoride in the water and in the second, you're saying how this decision gives people virtually no choice about taking fluoride?
    I recognise the Joh reference (Joh Bjelke-Petersen) - a previous Premier of Queensland, but don't fully know all the things his government got up to as I only arrived here from the UK 15 months ago (I'm out here on a work secondment for a couple of years). I'm guessing that the brewery in Brisbane gets its water from the town supply, so XXXX Bitter will be fluoridated.

  9. #49
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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    You mean, I hope, other than filtering out the calcium carbonate which would otherwise cause limescale in, e.g., kettles? 'cos filters are excellent at that. The kettle here in the office scales up in a couple of weeks - noticeable at the moment as it has recently been replaced - whereas mine at home is scale-free after a couple of years.
    Yep - your Brita filter consists mostly of an ion-exchange resin filter (softens the water) and an activated carbon filter (removes organic matter). By all means use it to soften your water, but don't bother if you want to improve the taste. The recent taste test by Decanter magazine puts filtered water as their least favourite, whilst Thames tap water beats virtually all bottled mineral water (and is safer and more environmentally friendly):

    Tap water beats top brands at Decanter tasting - decanter.com - the route to all good wine

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    point of information: coronation street is merely terraced houses; town houses more properly applies to terraced properties of 3 or more floors, and usually with an externally-accessible below-ground floor as well.


    I do understand that is the common meaning of a town house in the UK.

    Which is why I was trying to interpret Saligal's comments into UK speak...

    A town house in Aussie (where Saligal is getting her point of reference) often means anything 2 storey (sometimes, but rarely more floors) built as part of a terrace and often under a communial management system (strata) in the same way that flats are managed. Rather like the leasehold management system in the UK.

    So an Aussie Town house = UK terraced house, often without the freedom of the "freehold" component.

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post
    You say it is a closed system, but what happens if a galah happend to die on your roof. You've got a dead galah starting to rot, it rains, and bits of the partially decomposed galah gets washed into your tank Doesn't sound that pure to me?
    Fair point, I do not know enough about the filtration or purification of rainwater systems in Aussie to be able to comment.

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post
    Yep - your Brita filter consists mostly of an ion-exchange resin filter (softens the water) and an activated carbon filter (removes organic matter). By all means use it to soften your water, but don't bother if you want to improve the taste. The recent taste test by Decanter magazine puts filtered water as their least favourite, whilst Thames tap water beats virtually all bottled mineral water (and is safer and more environmentally friendly):

    Tap water beats top brands at Decanter tasting - decanter.com - the route to all good wine
    Agreed, with one proviso.

    Tea made with filtered water tastes better than tea made with hard water. IMHO.

    What did Decanter say about the bouquet and legs of Thames Water?

    (A presumptuous performer with a rather cheeky nose.....

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    Registered User ~*~Saligal~*~'s Avatar
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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post
    You say it is a closed system, but what happens if a galah happend to die on your roof. You've got a dead galah starting to rot, it rains, and bits of the partially decomposed galah gets washed into your tank Doesn't sound that pure to me?




    I recognise the Joh reference (Joh Bjelke-Petersen) - a previous Premier of Queensland, but don't fully know all the things his government got up to as I only arrived here from the UK 15 months ago (I'm out here on a work secondment for a couple of years). I'm guessing that the brewery in Brisbane gets its water from the town supply, so XXXX Bitter will be fluoridated.
    Most people the cities in Australia are using rainwater tanks are using the water to wash cars and water gardens - not for drinking purposes (mostly because it hasn't been treated)

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Just been reading Ben Goldacre's Bad Science column from Friday. (For reference, Ben highlights example of bad, misleading and incorrect appeals to science in the media. This column is a good example of the sort of thing he writes about...)

    This week he was writing about fluoridation of water. It's well worth reading. Especially if you're a pro-fluoridation science fan.
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by ducasi View Post
    Just been reading Ben Goldacre's Bad Science column from Friday. (For reference, Ben highlights example of bad, misleading and incorrect appeals to science in the media. This column is a good example of the sort of thing he writes about...)

    This week he was writing about fluoridation of water. It's well worth reading. Especially if you're a pro-fluoridation science fan.
    Good link.

    It would seem there isn't much good science on either side of the question...

    !! IDEA !!

    We should put the fluoride in the MMR jab! Problem solved.

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    !! IDEA !!

    We should put the fluoride in the MMR jab! Problem solved.
    Hey - we'll make a scientist of you yet

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by batnurse View Post
    Hey - we'll make a scientist of you yet
    e equals emm cee squared the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the square of the other two sides the set of all sets that do not include themselves is null it is a truth universally acknowledged that a young man in possession of a fortune is in want of a wife...

    BZZZZZZZZZZTTTT!

    Oh no! So close but fell at the last hurdle

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    e equals emm cee squared the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the square of the other two sides the set of all sets that do not include themselves is null it is a truth universally acknowledged that a young man in possession of a fortune is in want of a wife...

    BZZZZZZZZZZTTTT!

    Oh no! So close but fell at the last hurdle
    Never mind Barry. Failed as a scientist? It will have to be law then I suppose...

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    Registered User ~*~Saligal~*~'s Avatar
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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Do dentists give fluoride treatments to kids over there when they have a check-up? Just curious.

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by batnurse View Post
    Never mind Barry. Failed as a scientist? It will have to be law then I suppose...
    I would have thought that science and law were arenas in which intellectual rigour were equally crucial.

    However, I certainly don't want to argue the toss with a scientist who has bats in the belfry.

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    Re: Mass medication - fluoride in drinking water

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    I would have thought that science and law were arenas in which intellectual rigour were equally crucial.

    However, I certainly don't want to argue the toss with a scientist who has bats in the belfry.
    Bats in the bedroom, actually

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