On Monday, Might 13, town fee in Abilene, Kansas, voted to reinstate water fluoridation after having voted a couple of weeks previous to finish the follow. The turnaround didn’t occur by itself. Native well being pros, spearheaded by way of Dr. Beatrice Brittan — an Abilene dentist — performed a pivotal position within the fee’s determination to opposite itself. On this weblog article, Dr. Brittan explains what motivated her to get entangled.
As a qualified, a part of our accountability is to step up and lead the ones in our neighborhood when issues of dental public well being stand up. All of us took the desired public well being classes in dental college. All of us most definitely anticipated to be “the face” of our personal dental places of work. I knew I’d be “placing myself in the market” when taking up a brand new follow, however by no means did I consider I will be the face of a
motion to safeguard a public well being provider that has been in position in my homeland for 3 a long time. Learn about after learn about displays that youngsters and adults who drink fluoridated water have more potent tooth which are much less liable to decay.
When our town fee voted to prevent our water fluoridation, I knew I had no selection however to suggest for its go back. It used to be my responsibility. What sort of dental skilled would I be if I had accomplished not anything? I wouldn’t accept as true with a dentist who didn’t get for my part all for advocating for this sort of an important topic of public well being in their very own homeland.
Our number one hurdle used to be a loss of schooling and figuring out. I had a large number of strengthen from my state dental affiliation and dental advocacy teams. There are such a lot of extra pro-fluoridation advocates in the market than anti-fluoridation conspiracy theorists. I took at the burden of talking publicly and privately to those that may just make a metamorphosis, encouraging fellow well being pros on the town to supply their very own advisement, and organizing a reaction to our town fee’s determination.
We have been in a position to have the vote overturned. It used to be exhausting paintings, however the well being of my follow and my person sufferers is for it. I’m a greater dental supplier for having accomplished this sort of advocacy paintings and the volume of people that have for my part approached me with trustworthy gratitude has additional cemented my trust that this used to be the proper struggle to tackle.