The thought of losing fluoride in Calgary's tap water doesn't sit well with one local dentist.
"Unfortunately, we are seeing an epidemic of infants with decay and if you take the fluoride out of the water that epidemic is going to grow," says Dr. Leonard Smith, a pediatric dentist.
Smith says toothpaste with fluoride is not recommended for kids under three so getting it in the water is the only way to help protect their teeth.
Smith says fluoride in the water also helps older kids who don't brush properly.
The Canadian Dental Association, the Canadian Pediatric Society and the Canadian Cancer Society endorse fluoridation and consider the levels of fluoride in tap water safe.
But not all dentists are on board with added fluoride.
Dr. Bob Dickson voted in favour of it in the city's last plebiscite but has changed his mind since then. "It's been one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated," says Dickson.
Dickson says there has been no proof that fluoride in the water supply is effective.
He also says monitoring should be done to see how much fluoride people are actually ingesting.
