Community Water Fluoridation
Consumer Information
Effectiveness
Prior to the wide-spread use of water fluoridation, 98 out
of 100 Americans experienced some tooth decay by the time they reached adulthood.
In the 1940s, with the advent of community water fluoridation, there began a 56 %
reduction in caries for children 12 -14 years of age.
In general, children now show up to a 63 % caries
reduction in the primary teeth (Thylstrup, 1990) and a 20 - 40 % caries
reduction over a lifetime (U.S. Health and Human Services, 1994). The reduction
in decay in the permanent teeth is not as pronounced as it was in the early
years, but there is still an 18 - 40 % reduction in dental caries as reported
by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC MMWR, August, 2001). The
Centers for Disease Control continue to recommend fluoridating community water
supplies.
The National Academy of
Sciences report of June 2002 states:
“Research provides
conclusive evidence that fluoridation of the water supply or supplemental fluoride reduces
dental caries, and of all dietary components exhibiting a protective effect
against caries, the most effective is fluoride.”
“Exposure to fluoride at
all ages
prevents dental caries and both pre- and post-eruptive exposure to fluoride has
cariostatic effects.”
“The earlier children are
exposed to fluoridated water or dietary fluoride supplements, the greater the
reduction in dental caries in both the primary and permanent teeth.”
Safety
Since the inception of
water fluoridation, there have been unsubstantiated claims that water
fluoridation causes a variety of health problems - cancer, Downs Syndrome,
Alzheimers, bone disease, kidney problems, allergic reactions, etc. To ensure
the public that these claims are false, the following are a few of the
organizations that have publicly endorsed or published supportive statements regarding the safety and effectiveness of water fluoridation (2002):
|
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
|
U.S. Public Health
Service
|
|
American Medical
Association
|
World Health Organization
|
|
British Medical
Association
|
American Society for
Nutritional Sciences
|
|
Canadian Medical
Association
|
National Council Against
Health Fraud
|
|
American Cancer Society
|
National Parent Teachers
Association
|
|
National Academy of Sciences
|
National Institutes of
Health
|
|
American Academy of
Pediatrics
|
American Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry
|
|
National Down Syndrome
Society
|
American Academy of
Family Practice
|
|
American Osteopathic
Association
|
American Dietetic
Association
|
|
National Alzheimer's
Association
|
European Organization
for Caries Research
|
|
National Kidney
Foundation
and others
|
American Academy of
Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
|
For more information about community water fluoridation,
visit the following websites:
www.healthyteeth.us (where
you may click on the following websites); or go directly to:
www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/facts/index.asp
www.ada.org/prof/resources/positions/statements/fluoride2.asp
www.fluoridationcenter.org
www.dentalwatch.org/fl/fluoride.html
www.fluorideworks.org
