Fluoridate the Water!

Fluoride has dramatically changed the oral health of millions of people since it was first introduced into the public water supply of towns and cities across the United States in 1945. Grand Rapids, Michigan was the first to start this revolution of putting fluoride into public drinking water. The American Dental Association states that “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 the ten great public health achievements of the 20th century” (ADA, 1). This is a very important issue and citizens should not wait to fluoridate their drinking water.

So what is fluoride? “Fluoride is a naturally occurring compound that can help prevent dental decay” (ADA, 10). Fluoride is an ion that comes from the element fluorine. Fluorine is a very abundant element and is found on the earth’s crust as the ion fluoride. Fluoridation of public drinking water is simply adjusting the amount of fluoride that naturally occurs in the water; for some this may mean adding fluoride and for others this is may mean decreasing the amount of fluoride. “The optimal fluoride level recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service is 0.7-1.2 parts per million for the prevention of tooth decay” (ADA, 1). As of 2002, over two-thirds of the United States population have fluoride in their public water supply. Public water supply fluoridation is a very safe and effective practice to prevent tooth decay. “Today, studies prove water fluoridation continues to be effective in reducing tooth decay by 20-40%, even in an era with widespread availability of fluoride from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste”
(ADA, 1).

Fluoride helps protect teeth from decay in two ways, systemically and topically. Systemically, fluoride is ingested into the body and the fluoride becomes incorporated with the tooth structure making it stronger. When fluoride is systemically ingested, such as drinking a glass of water with fluoridated water regularly, the fluoride incorporates into the teeth better than if it were applied topically, such as fluoride in the toothpaste. Systemically, fluoride is also present in saliva, which bathes the teeth throughout the day, again allowing the teeth to become stronger, and this further prevents tooth decay (ADA, 10).

Water fluoridation is also very cost effective for small towns, such as Brunswick, MO. It will cost approximately $3.00 per year per person to fluoridate the water. Furthermore, for every $1 spent on water fluoridation, $38 in dental treatments is saved (ADA, 1). It has been proved from data collected that the average lifetime cost per person to add fluoride to the drinking water is less than the cost of treating one dental filling (ADA, 56). To put it into economic terms, is it better for a person to pay $3.00 a year to have fluoridate their public water supply, which helps support healthy teeth without decay or is it better for a person to brush their teeth, hoping the fluoridated toothpaste will be sufficient to prevent tooth decay? Each person has to weigh the costs individually, but from the facts it seems evident that every public water supply should be fluoridated.

Resource:

American Dental Association. Fluoridation Facts. Chicago, IL: American Dental Association, 2005. 7 Feb. 2008