Project to document dental fluorosis in Atlanta metro area
January 13, 2010
News Release
The Lillie Center, Inc.
P.O. Box 839 Ellijay, GA 30540
Ph: 706-669-0786 Fax: 706-635-8170
Web: www.thelilliecenter.com
A First-Ever Project Benefiting Disproportionately Harmed Citizens and Other Groups
Background: The Lillie Center Inc. is a small public health training firm that has expended more than 7,000 hours of uncompensated staff time over five years toward the goal of ending the harmful practice of water fluoridation. Our approach has been to use as ammunition the little-known data of government, private sector, and dental organizations that document harm from fluorides. Using this approach, we were instrumental in causing the National Kidney Foundation to withdraw its name from the American Dental Association’s list of water fluoridation supporters in 2008.
We have particularly focused on exposing the explosive issue of susceptible subgroups and disproportionately harmed citizens, and The Lillie Center’s Daniel Stockin has been a guest on nationally syndicated talk radio programs on a number of occasions to speak about this issue. We want to cause this issue to spread in the media and in the public awareness in Atlanta, home to a very large population and the backyard of the CDC that has done little to share much of the news about fluoride concerns with citizens. In 2005, CDC’s MMWR publication quietly acknowledged that around 3.4% of blacks, perhaps 3-4% of Mexican Americans, and nearly 2% of whites have moderate or severe dental fluorosis, and that the milder forms of the condition affect even higher percentages of the population — but this news is virtually unknown to the average citizen. Our previous outreach efforts lead us to believe there is significant dental fluorosis in Georgia and Atlanta.
Project Goals: Our goals are the following: 1) To conduct outreach in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area, photographically documenting dental fluorosis in children and adults and interviewing citizens about their attitudes once they learn more about fluoride harm, and 2) To summarize and disseminate the photographic and interview information, making it available for use in efforts toward ending fluoridation.
Project Tasking: We will meet with representatives from organizations such as church groups, activist groups, student groups, the black media, etc. Two Lillie Center staff will participate in providing information to individuals and groups, taking still photos of dental fluorosis, and making videos of interviews. Interviews will include questions concerning fluoride exposure history, symptoms of possible fluoride-related harm, interest in participating in efforts to end fluoridation, etc. We will obtain release statements from individuals interviewed / photographed. We envision spending a number of days in Atlanta. We will then summarize, edit, assemble, and begin dissemination of the information we acquire.
Project Benefits: This groundbreaking endeavor will reap invaluable knowledge and documentation, will provide essential information to citizens, can be replicated in other cities and for other specific subgroups (kidney patients, or American Indians, for example), will generate media interest, and will galvanize citizens and leaders to speak against fluoridation.
Project Costs: Our outreach into Atlanta will require a minimum of $5,000 to cover travel, photographic documentation, staff for outreach, and other associated expenses. Contributions are not tax deductible. Questions may be addressed to The Lillie Center via the phone or email contacts shown above.