Question:
In Montreal, 600 children younger than four are waiting for dental work so extensive, it must be done under general anesthetic, said Stephane Schwartz, a pediatric dental specialist at Montreal General Hospital. She and her colleagues are planning a major lobby effort to convince the city to add fluoride to the water. in detail?

Answer: Elizabeth Griswold, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Bottled Water Association, said she would be surprised if an increase in the consumption of bottled water was contributing to the jump in childhood cavities.

She said there is controversy over the effectiveness of fluoride, but some bottlers nonetheless add the substance to their product.

Canada produced 920 million litres of bottled water in 2001, and Canadians drank an average of 29 litres per person, according to figures from the International Council of Bottled Water.