Advertisement At the age of 73, he still practices dentistry part time and has seen some patients for more than 35 years. The rest of the time he travels around the country as a dental examiner making sure new dentists have the skills to practice before they are licensed.
It was while a junior at Blair, Wis., High School, Strand said, that he decided on dentistry. He attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-La Crosse before entering Marquette University Dental School, from which he graduated in 1960.
He served a rotating dental internship in the U.S. Air Force for three years in Texas. “It was three years of excellent training and I saw everything,” Strand said.
Strand said he saw the benefits of fluoride right away in Amarillo, Texas.
“I saw high levels of fluoride naturally occurring in the water, and patients from there didn’t have caries (cavities),” Strand said. “I saw mottled enamel and stained teeth at these high levels, which I could treat, but no caries.”
He said he could tell whether soldiers came from fluoridated cities because those who did had fewer cavities. That was the beginning, he said, of his dedication and commitment to fluoridation of water supplies.
Strand led referendum initiatives to fluoridate water in the city of La Crosse, but three different referendums were defeated. A fourth referendum passed in 1988, and since then, the city has had fluoridated water.
“It took the city a long time to get fluoridated water, but it’s one of the best things we have done for public health,” Strand said.
Strand was president of the Wisconsin Dental Association in 1988 and was a member of the group’s board of directors for eight years.
He also received the lifetime achievement award from his association.
He has been a dental examiner for 13 years and served two terms on the state board of dental examiners.
He now works in his office two to three days a weeks and also travels a 15-state area to examine senior dental students as he checks their work on patients for their license certification.
Strand said he has no date in mind when he will retire.
“I’d like to start all over again,” Strand said. “I really like what I’m doing.”
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8227.
How important is fluoridation in our water supplies?
Fluoridation of our water supplies is the single most cost-effective means of ensuring everyone who drinks water will benefit from it. The average cost is 50 cents a year per person in large cities and about $3 per person in small communities. It is considered one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.
Water fluoridation contributes much more to overall health than simply reduction of tooth decay in children. Studies show it reduces the amount of cavities children get in baby teeth by as much as 60 percent and reduces tooth decay in permanent adult teeth by nearly 35 percent.
Fluoride prevents needless infection, pain, suffering and loss of teeth. It improves the quality of life and can save in dental treatment costs. For most cities, $1 invested in community water fluoridation results in $38 saved in dental costs.
Why has fluoridation been controversial?
The CDC has indicated 70 percent of the U.S. population now receives optimally adjusted fluoridated water. Forty-two of the 50 largest cities are fluoridated. Through more than 60 years of research and practical experience, the scientific evidence has consistently indicated that adding fluoride to already naturally occurring levels in water supply is safe.
There is some information on the Internet that gives false information on toxicity, etc. I had a parent of a family of eight 30 years ago state: “We will do what you advise in the office — take fluoride tablets, do fluoride topicals, etc., but we do not want you telling us what to drink in our water!”
What can parents do if they have wells or don’t have fluoride in the city’s water?
It is important to have the water tested for the level of naturally-occurring fluoride. Public health facilities can test the water or recommend where the test can be done. Once the level has been determined, the level of fluoride supplement can be prescribed depending on the age of the child in the form of drops or tablets. The maximum reduction of tooth decay occurs when fluoride is available during development of the tooth before they erupt and after they erupt.
A growing number of people use bottled water as their primary source for drinking and even cooking. Studies show the vast majority of the products contain less than .3 parts per million fluoride, significantly below the optimal water fluoridation level of .7 to 1.2 parts per million. Some home water treatment systems remove fluoride from the water, so levels need to be checked.
Water softening causes no significant change, while certain filters can affect the concentration. It is important to contact the manufacturers for correct data.
