Voters in Salt Lake County may have a chance in November to decide whether they want fluoride in their drinking water. The Salt Lake City/County Board of Health is expected to petition the County Commission, tomorrow to place the issue on the ballot. More on the story from Science Specialist Ed Yeates:

Few compounds have been researched as much as fluoride. Six years ago, a Utah study showed a possible link between fluoride in Brigham City's drinking water and a higher incidence of bone fractures among the elderly.

But four years ago, scientists in Texas showed a mixture of calcium and fluoride may actually STOP bone loss in patients with osteoporosis.

Hundreds of studies have come and gone over the years, but no researcher yet has disputed fluoride's benefit in producing stronger, cavity-free teeth.

((ANTHONY TIDWELL, DDS/SLCC BOARD OF HEALTH: "PUTTING IT IN THE WATER IS THE ONLY EFFECTIVE WAY OF HELPING THE TEETH DEVELOP STRONG. IT HELPS THE TEETH COME IN STRONGER THAN THEY NORMALLY WOULD BE."))

The Utah Legislature last month gave Salt Lake County the legal right to go directly to voters to let them decide the issue in a referendum. Dr. Anthony Tidwell is a dentist. He's also on the Salt Lake City/County Board of Health. Tomorrow he'll ask board members to petition the county to place fluoridation on the ballot.

((ED YEATES, SCIENCE SPECIALIST: "UNLIKE OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, MOST UTAH VOTERS HAVE OPPOSED FLUORIDATION OVER THE YEARS. IN FACT IN THE 50'S AND EARLY 60'S SOME BELIEVED IT WAS A COMMUNIST PLOT TO PUT IT IN THE WATER."))

But the Board of Health says Salt Lake's poor record for tooth decay over the years has now become a major public health issue.

(("THEY'VE TRACKED THIS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND WE HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST CAVITY RATES IN THE COUNTRY."))

Some advocacy groups still believe this is a freedom-of-choice issue, that even though the majority of voters may say yes on the ballot, the government still does not have the right to put fluoride in the water.

The Board of Health has already evaluated studies and looked at data, from other states. It most likely will vote in favor of the petition tomorrow.