A planned August hearing to ponder the future of water fluoridation in Scappoose has been delayed until September due to scheduling conflicts.

Councilor Judie Ingham recently raised her concern over the city’s decade-long practice of applying fluoride to its water supply, a common way to combat tooth decay.

Ingham, echoing beliefs held by many others, questions the need for fluoride in the water when there are many other ways for children to have access to the chemical, including in pill form and in toothpaste.

The matter will now be discussed at the city council’s Sept. 4 meeting.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights water fluoridation as one of the most important public health innovations of the last century.

But, as with the case of Ingham’s son, too much fluoride during a child’s dental development can lead to a condition known as fluorosis, which causes degradation of the enamel, from mild to severe.

Nearly 22 percent of Oregon homes have fluoridated water, while around 66 percent of the U.S. population gets fluoride from the tap.