Line Decay

It begins
where the pipe-mouths
forget their task –
no bite-mark trace,
no shield
for the milk-tooth years.
Granular loss –
a grit-lace forming
in gums
before the ache has
a name.
Costs do not arrive
in full –
they scatter
into waiting rooms,
wage-gaps,
days missed.
Some teeth crack
clean.
Others wear down
in low-lit silence,
one sugar-thin
thread
at a time.

This poem is inspired by recent research, which has found that removing fluoride from US water would cost $9.8 billion.

For decades, adding fluoride to public water supplies has played a major role in preventing tooth decay across the United States, especially for children. However, growing concerns about possible health risks have led to calls for this practice to stop. The potential consequences of such a move are far-reaching. Tooth decay remains one of the most common chronic health conditions in children, and any increase in cases could deepen existing health inequalities – particularly for children without private dental insurance – while placing added strain on already stretched public health services.

This study explored what might happen if fluoride were removed from US public water systems. Using health data from over 8,000 children, researchers created a simulation model to estimate changes in oral health and healthcare costs. Their findings were stark: within five years, an end to fluoridation could lead to 25 million more decayed teeth among children, a 7.5% rise in tooth decay, and nearly $10 billion in additional dental costs. The effects would be most severe for children from lower-income families. Despite the concerns raised about fluoride at high levels, this research shows that maintaining safe levels of fluoridation continues to protect children’s health and reduce public healthcare costs.