Water fluoridation, or the controlled adjustment of fluoride levels in a community water supply to reduce tooth decay, continues to spark debate across the nation as decision makers and constituents face tight budget and priority shifts. In the debate on whether to eliminate fluoride from community water sources, the effectiveness of water fluoridation to improve oral health has played a major role. Recently, researchers from University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Dentistry and University of Adelaide issued a new study in the Journal of Dental Research that is changing the conversation.
This population-level study found adults who
spent more than 75 percent of their lifetime living in a community with water
fluoridation had significantly less tooth decay than those who had lived in one
for less than 25 percent of their lifetime. Although fluoridation was
previously thought to primarily benefit children who were raised drinking
fluoridated water, this study shows the benefits for all ages. We hope this
evidence, along with other current findings, will strengthen our understanding
of the preventive effects of fluoride on oral health and reinforce the need for
communities to continue to invest in keeping fluoride in community water.
DentaQuest stands behind water
fluoridation as an effective and safe way to
prevent dental decay. The DentaQuest Foundation is supporting community-based
strategies to promote community water fluoridation through our Community Water
Fluoridation Initiative. We believe, along with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the American Dental
Association, and many other organizations, that community water fluoridation is one of the most cost-effective means of preventing
dental caries.
As an enterprise committed to
improve the oral health of all, we are concerned by the growing number of communities
debating whether to end long-term community water fluoridation programs,
reversing a generation of improvements to America's oral health. It is
penny-wise and pound foolish. Tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic disease
in children; it is 5 times more common than asthma. And it’s not just children.
51 million adults suffer from mouth pain at least twice a year. Americans spend
more than $106 billion (2010) on oral care; 30 million don’t get
treatment. That includes 1 in 5 children. All this despite the fact that
dental disease is largely preventable! Community water fluoridation is an
important first step.
Advocate in your community for water
fluoridation. To learn more and get the facts on water fluoridation’s impact on
oral health, visit http://www.ilikemyteeth.org/.