Dr. Duncan W. Clark, Voice for Fluoridated Water in New York City, Dies at 96


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New York Times
Thursday 21 August 2008

Dr. Duncan W. Clark, Voice for Fluoridated Water, Dies at 96

By JEREMY PEARCE

(See original article)

Dr. Duncan W. Clark, a public-health expert who became a persuasive advocate for adding fluoride to New York City’s water supply in the early 1960s, when opponents claimed the health risks far outweighed the rewards, died on Aug. 5 at his home in Brooklyn. He was 96.

His death was confirmed by his family.

A specialist in preventive medicine, Dr. Clark raised a learned voice for the benefits to teeth and general health obtained by adding a minute amount of fluoride to the public water. From 1951 to 1978, he was chairman of the department of environmental medicine and community health at the State University of New York’s Downstate campus in Brooklyn.

In New York State, there had been experiments with fluoridation as early as the 1940s, most notably in Newburgh. Long-term studies of Newburgh’s children showed a decline in cavities of 60 percent to 70 percent, without indications of increased rates of cancer, heart disease or other harmful effects. Even so, opponents delayed fluoridation of New York City’s water until 1965.

In 1959 and 1960, Dr. Clark weighed in to argue that fluoridation would be neither unsafe nor too expensive. He cited a 1950s study of children in Philadelphia that demonstrated a 50 percent decline in rates of tooth decay. He also estimated the annual cost of treating cavities at $2 billion, “making teeth the most costly part of the human body.â€