Some dentists in Moncton aren't smiling after city council voted to pull fluoride from its water supply for five years, while it studies the health effects of fluoridation.

Many dentists believe that fluoride reduces cavities and improves people's overall dental health, but members of the anti-fluoride movement point to health risks such as dental fluorosis.

Moncton's decision to stop fluoridating its water mirrors one made by nearby Dieppe, although the town of Riverview voted to continue the practice.

Despite the council's decision, Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc voted to keep fluoride in the water, saying many respected authorities such as Health Canada convinced him of the health benefits.

"I weighed all of the evidence and in my view the weight should be given to the medical authorities who advise municipalities across the country," says LeBlanc.

But Oliver Weil of Fluoride Free Moncton has a different take.

"It is only in some municipalities' water," says Weil. "Montreal, Vancouver have never put it in their water. Ninety-eight per cent of Europe, over 90 per cent of Quebec and over 90 per cent of B.C. do not fluoridate their water. Fredericton never has, but when it comes up, it is a politically sensitive issue."

Dr. Anil Joshi is a dentist and a spokesperson for the New Brunswick Dental Society and he supports the fluoridation of municipal water. He says the decision about whether or not to fluoridate often comes down to who lobbies the hardest.

"There is a fairly strong anti-fluoridation movement in some communities and if there is enough of a base of those people lobbying for this kind of approach, then sometimes they have the upper hand and that seems to be the outcome," he says.

Daniel Bourgeois is one of seven city councillors who voted in favour of removing fluoride from Moncton's water supply, and he says about 12 of his constituents approached him on the issue.

"I was always playing the devil's advocate, whether they were for or against," says Bourgeois. "I would give them the counter-argument and…people who held one opinion would always reply ‘oh, I didn't know that.'"

Council says it will pull fluoride from its water supply as soon as operationally possible and it will examine what, if any, health effect the change has on residents during the trial period.

With files from CTV Atlantic's David Bell