Community Water Fluoridation: Scientific Facts vs Opinion
Presented by Dr. Johnny Johnson
This session will provide a 30,000 foot view of the status of community water fluoridation (CWF) in the U.S. It will review of the discovery of fluoride’s benefit to tooth enamel and cavity reductions and discuss the evidence-based science which supports CWF as effective and safe. This session will provide overview of CWF opponents’ claims of harms caused by fluoride levels in CWF. During this time we will discuss specific claims to demonstrate how opponent’s claim(s) are constructed to create fear and deconstruct the opponent’s claims. This session will include information on communications: how to avoid reinforcing the opponent’s claims, the role of water utility managers/operators in CWF, and the role of CWF decision-makers in deciding to start, continue, or cease it. Participants will recieve resources for credible information.
Johnny Johnson, DMD, MS, is a pediatric dentist from Pinellas County, Florida who is also the co-founder and President of the American Fluoridation Society. Dr. Johnson has delivered presentations, training and testimony about fluoride in numerous states, including Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin and his home state of Florida, as well as in the U.K. and Canada. Dr. Johnson’s leadership role in fluoridation advocacy began after his county commission voted to end fluoridation to >700,000 residents — a decision that was successfully reversed after he worked with others to form a coalition in the Clearwater-St. Petersburg, FL area. Dr. Johnson was a key source of information for the reporters and editors who helped the Tampa Bay Times win a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the fluoridation issue. He received his dental training from the University of Florida, and he earned his Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry and Masters of Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.