Sixty years ago, Grand Rapids, Michigan became
the world’s
first city to adjust the level
of fluoride in its water supply.
Since that time, fluoridation
has dramatically improved the oral health of tens
of millions of Americans. Community water fluoridation
is the single most effective public health measure
to prevent tooth decay. Additionally, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention proclaimed community
water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health
achievements of the 20th century.
Fluoridation of community water supplies is simply the precise
adjustment of the existing naturally occurring fluoride levels
in drinking water to an optimal fluoride level recommended by
the U.S. Public Health Service (0.7–1.2 parts per million) for
the prevention of dental decay. Based on data from 2002, approximately
170 million people (or over two-thirds of the population) in
the United States are served by public water systems that are
fluoridated.
Studies conducted throughout the past 60 years have consistently indicated
that fluoridation of community water supplies
is safe and effective in preventing dental decay in both children
and adults. It is the most efficient way to prevent one of the most
common childhood diseases—tooth decay (5 times as common as asthma
and 7 times as common as hay fever in 5- to17-year-olds).
Early studies, such as those conducted in Grand Rapids, showed that
water fluoridation reduced the amount of
cavities children get in their baby teeth by as much as 60 percent and reduced
tooth decay in permanent adult teeth nearly 35 percent. Today, studies prove
water fluoridation continues to be effective in reducing tooth decay
by 20–40 percent, even in an era with widespread availability of fluoride
from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste.
The average cost for a community to fluoridate its water is estimated
to range from approximately $0.50 a year per person in large communities
to approximately $3.00 a year per person in small communities. For
most cities, every $1 invested in water fluoridation saves $38 in
dental treatment costs.
The American Dental Association continues to endorse fluoridation
of community water supplies as safe and effective
for preventing tooth decay. This support
has been the Association’s
position since policy was first adopted in
1950. The ADA’s
policies regarding community water fluoridation
are based on the overwhelming weight of peer-reviewed,
credible scientific evidence. The ADA, along
with state and local dental societies, continues
to work with federal, state, local agencies and community coalitions
to increase the number of communities benefiting from water fluoridation.
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(Posted 12/22/05) |
