Korean Job Discussion Forums

[captain kirk]

I talked to a dentist about fluoride in the water. He said Jinhae (small city down on the coast west of Pusan) has fluoride in the water. And another city or two. But the majority of Korean municipalities don't because of objections by enough Koreans.

Without fluoride in the drinking water how about in the toothpaste? I went to Costco expecting to find Crest or some other toothpaste brand that makes a point of including fluoride. Nothing doing (Daegu Costco).

Has anyone seen toothpaste containing fluoride for sale? If it's up in Seoul or down in Pusan (I'm around Daegu) I can go after it....

[ttompatz]

[captain kirk]

Thanks. I actually got a root canal started today. The total price, including posts and crown, will be 370,000 won and that's with health insurance. The health insurance covers the root canal work, but not the posts and crown, otherwise it would be less. That's so cheap compared to Canada.

I got two done there, two years ago. At that time, besides the work being done (root canals) I had no cavities.

But two days ago a tooth weakened by decay broke, needing the root canal. And I have, according the the dentist, quite a few cavities.

I've been using toothpaste without fluoride for the past two years and, of course, there has been no fluoride in the drinking water.

I can't understand how enough Koreans could have objection to fluoride in the water. But the water in plastic bottles bought is advertised as 'pure spring/mountain natural' water without any additives period. I know from anthropolgy in college, my minor, that Native Americans have thicker tooth enamel. And the ancestors of Native Americans came over from Mongolia. Perhaps, with thicker enamel, who needs fluoride?

Of course dentists like to give cavities the benefit of the doubt and work on them for income and to keep busy. The dentist office was not busy today and, like a department store, had more than enough idle aides/clerks.

But the speed with which he worked was impressive. Really get down to it quick smart. He had the tooth open and root canals filed, that all done, in something like forty minutes. And he was good with the needle freezing with novocaine. Trained in Ontario so his English was good.

Really impressed with the moderately priced, excellent work. Open on Saturday, just walked in and we got to work.

[hubba bubba]

Umm....Not joking, try Japan.

MAYBE the Russian district in Pusan?

[captain kirk]

I think Tom's on the mark. I sort of recall seeing it on the shelves of the grey mart where foreigner goods are sold (alongside Quaker Oats, underarm deoderant, Listerine, Corned Beef, and other hard to find here goods). Just didn't have a jones on for fluoride until now. But thanks for mentioning Japan. Now I have a craving for hotties!

[just because]

You can buy this toothpaste all korean marts(lotte, Emart, Homeplus,etc)....

Close Up - it has flouride

[captain kirk]

Cool, owe ya...

[djsmnc]

THIS is why they don't want fluoride in the water:



http://www.becomehealthynow.com/ebookprint.php?id=943






I've had this problem with my teeth all my life. It's an embarassment that is very expensive to get rid of. I don't support fluoridation either.

[captain kirk]

'There is no point in swallowing fluoridated water. The only benefit comes in direct contact with the teeth'. Says a writer in your link.

Thanks for that. So then in toothpaste it's advantageous but in drinking water there's no effect, apparently, and danger to developing bones and teeth in children (the effects of which are lifelong). I really didn't know about this. Thanks, man.

The tap water back in Canada was fluoridated. Just took it for granted as good. The only person, though I never looked into it much, I noticed protesting was a sort of strange guy who protested just about everything. And kept a rattler loose in an extra bedroom of his house. He put posters up on lamposts about his latest objection/obsession, often including fluoridation. Kind of like the mad general in Kubrick's Dr Strangelove who talks about the communists involved in the fluoridation of our water supply (and somehow plotting to deplete our precious bodily fluids).

Check. Cancel fluoridated water idea. Thanks.

[Canadian Club]

Not all tap water in Canada has flouride: municipalities have some leeway, similar to adding chlorine or not.

You can buy toothpaste with Fluoride at E-Mart.

[djsmnc]

[kat2]

I had flouride "poisioning" or whatever you want to call it when I was a kid. My teeth are quite discolored under my bonds.

If you come to Busan, I can tell you where to get american toothpaste and listerine. Its just a little whole in the wall with some blackmarket stuff.

[captain kirk]

Yeah, shame on governments sometimes, throwing into programs that make people rich supplying the new requirement.

I think the problem has been drinking alot of canned coffee, which has alot of sugar, during work. Shooting down a can and the sugar just sits on the teeth. Re; toothpaste I found Colgate at the grey market in Daegu for three and a half bucks.

Re; the protester guy/young eccentric. He really DID keep a rattlesnake in a spare room in his apartment. One he'd caught in the wild in Western Canada. During the winter he kept it in a burlap bag placed within the vegetable crisper part at the bottom shelf of the fridge to simulate winter temperatures when the snake would ususally be dormant in a dark burrow. Kind of a pet that would keep the ever-present danger element alive in a serial/multi protester's life.

[Qinella]

I use Arm & Hammer toothpaste, which has flouride, which I bought at e-mart, which I assume is in most Korean cities, which means you should be able to get it relatively easy.

[captain kirk]

I've been using that but never stopped to check the label for fluoride. Speaking of toothpaste, there's a Korean brand that is pine tree flavoured. I used it one morning at a yogwan where it was on offer in the bathroom and ZING. For some time I was a turpentine breathing dragon.