Jay Hancock's blog: Women with good teeth earn more money - Economic navigation and sightseeing

Women who grew up in communities with fluoridated water earn more than those who didn't. Amazingly, after 60 years of fluoridated municipal water in the United States, the fluoride conspiracy theorists are still out there. From the National Bureau of Economic Research:

Fluoride has been shown to reduce cavities in teeth by as much as 60 percent. Municipal water fluoridation, “one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the twentieth century” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, began in Grand Rapids, MI, in 1945. It spread slowly throughout the United States, without any apparent relationship to wages or family income at the time it was introduced.
The authors find that “women who resided in communities with fluoridated water during childhood earn approximately 4 percent more than women who did not, but [there is] no effect of fluoridation for men.” The “much smaller and statistically insignificant” effect of fluoridation on the hourly earnings of men is consistent with Glied and Neidell’s hypothesis that: 1) women are more likely to be affected by consumer or employer discrimination on the basis of appearance; and 2) that women are more likely to select into occupations based on their physical appearance.

Comments

Well, I've also heard that women that are blond, women that have a certain breast size or larger (up to a certain size) and women that weigh less also earn more. And many studies have shown that women (and men, for that matter) that are more attractive earn more.

Posted by: jan | December 1, 2008 11:24 AM

This study has a huge flaw. According to statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control, the mostly highly fluoridated states have the highest rates of tooth loss and children's tooth decay

Besides fluoride has all sorts of advers health effects
http://www.FluorideAction.net/health

Posted by: nyscof | December 1, 2008 1:02 PM

The long in coming proof of fluoridation from Warren and Levy Nov 24,2008 shows car4ies fee status may have relatively to do with fluoride intake, fluororsis is clearly more dependant on fluoride intake.. 41% had dental fluorosis fluoride toxicity by 9 years.. Many more higher income stayed with the study so lower income under reported but we know they have more cavities and dental fluorosis in all studies. So things are worse then reported most likely and even worse for blacks as the CDC notes they often have double the damage of dental fluorosis. oops, Ouch. But then the WHO data and CDC data showed caries reduction had no relationship to fluoridation decades ago. Income predicts cavities in every state and fluoridation in not one state. Yet the CDC claims everyone benefits and safe for everyone. Am I very dense or are they just liars. Most dentists just repeat ADA talking points while knowing something stinks but they never look at their own shoe. Now about women--whats new about good looking people having a leg up. Fluoridation had notheing to do with the pretty teeth but it did put the spots on them. Many pay for the pretty teeth and perfect breasts. Fluoride intake is associated with early aging effects- If women knew that fluoridation would end tomorrow.

Posted by: Jim | December 2, 2008 10:31 AM

Jay - That would have to be the most frivulously pathetic misassociation of statistical data since Colin Powell's assessment of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

RE: WATER FLUORIDATION - CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE

PLEASE REVIEW THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION REGARDING WATER FLUORIDATION:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=z5tILUNbPLo
http://qawf.org
http://www.fluoridealert.org

http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/fluoridation.htm
http://members.iimetro.com.au/~hubbca/fluoride.htm
http://members.iimetro.com.au/~hubbca/fluoride2.htm
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/fluoride-expert.htm
http://fluoridationisforcedmedication.blogspot.com/2006/02/donora-fluoride-fog.html

Posted by: Fletcher Christian | December 11, 2008 5:51 AM