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BenefitsSince community water fluoridation began in 1945, it has been demonstrated to be a safe and cost-effective way to prevent tooth decay. Fluoridation protects teeth in two ways:
From this page you will be able to review more detailed information on the following topics in community water fluoridation:
Surgeons General Statements on Community Water Fluoridation
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Background Information |
Provides general information on the history and benefits of community water fluoridation.
Background on Water Fluoridation
An overview and history of community water fluoridation.
The Benefits of Fluoride
The key benefits of community water fluoridation.
The Halo Effect: Quantifying the diffused
benefit from water fluoridation in the United States
Griffin SO, Gooch BF, Lockwood SA, Tomar SL. Community Dent
Oral Epidemiol 2001;29:120–129.
Demonstrates
the total contribution of water fluoridation, not just to fluoridated
communities but to surrounding nonfluoridated communities as well. This
article helps to:
Selected Reports and Journal Articles |
The following selected reports and journal articles provide more detailed evidence supporting the benefits of community water fluoridation (see also Systematic Reviews).
Oral
Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General
Chapter 7 presents the evidence for community water fluoridation for
prevention of tooth decay.
Achievements in Public Health 1900–1999—Fluoridation of Drinking
Water to Prevent Dental Caries
MMWR, October 22, 1999;48(41);933–940.
Recognizes community water fluoridation as one of the 10 great public
health achievements of the 20th century, provides a brief history of
water fluoridation, and describes the historical decline in tooth
decay.
Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin
D, and Fluoride* (PDF 126KB)
Describes
the dietary reference intakes for specific nutrients known to be
beneficial to health, including fluoride. As is the case with all
nutrients, there are recommendations for both adequate intake and
tolerable intake levels. This report addresses both benefits and safety.
Cost Effectiveness |
Includes general information on the cost effectiveness of community water fluoridation and a review of the cost difference in pediatric dental treatment for fluoridated and nonfluoridated communities in Louisiana.
An Economic Evaluation of
Community Water Fluoridation. (PDF 1.0Mb)
Griffin SO, Jones K, Tomar SL. J Publ Health Dent 2001;61(2):78–86. An
analysis of the most current data available on the effectiveness and costs of
water fluoridation. The study compares average per person cost of
community water fluoridation with the cost of prevented disease. This
study:
Cost Savings of Community Water
Fluoridation
Studies continue to show that widespread community water fluoridation
prevents cavities and saves money, both for families and the health care
system.
Water
Fluoridation and Costs of Medicaid Treatment for Dental Decay—Louisiana, 1995–1996
MMWR, September 3, 1999;48(34):753–757.
Findings suggest that Medicaid-eligible children in communities without
community water fluoridation had an increased cost for dental treatment
per child that was twice as high as those children living in fluoridated
communities.
Systematic and Evidence-based Reviews |
Comprehensive reviews on the science available to determine the benefits and effectiveness of community water fluoridation.
Recommendations for Using Fluoride to Prevent and Control Dental Caries
in the United States. MMWR, August 17, 2001;50(RR–14):1–42.
Also available as a
PDF file (PDF 373K).
Provides guidance to health care providers, public health officials,
policymakers, and the general public on how to achieve maximum
protection against tooth decay while using dental care resources
efficiently and
minimizing any cosmetic concerns.
Reviews of Evidence on
Interventions to Prevent Dental Caries, Oral and Pharyngeal Cancers, and
Sports-Related Craniofacial Injuries*
From the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, provides information on the studies used
in the evidence review on community water fluoridation, the suitability of the study designs,
and quality of the evidence used to determine the magnitude of
effectiveness of community water fluoridation.
Summary Report
Promoting Oral Health: Interventions for Preventing Dental Caries, Oral and Pharyngeal Cancers, and Sports-Related Craniofacial Injuries
MMWR, November 30, 2001;50(RR21);1–13.
Reinforces the evidence-based prevention activities of community water fluoridation and school-based or school–linked dental sealant programs.
A Systematic Review
of Public Water Fluoridation *
Done by the University of York in the United Kingdom, this is a systematic review of the best
available evidence on positive and negative effects of community water
fluoridation.
Review of Fluoride: Benefits and Risks
Comprehensive review and evaluation of the public health benefits and
risks of fluoride from drinking water and other sources by the U.S.
Public Health Service.
One or more documents on this Web page is available in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need Acrobat Reader to view and print these documents.
* Links to non-Federal organizations are
provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an
endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none
should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual
organization Web pages found at this link.
Date last reviewed:
September 26, 2007
Date last updated: August 9, 2007
Content source:
Division of Oral Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion
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