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Surgeon General's Statement on Community Water Fluoridation, 2001
Since the 1950s, each
U.S. Public Health Service Surgeon General has committed
his or her
support for community water fluoridation. Below is the most recent
endorsement
supporting community water fluoridation from
Surgeon General,
David Satcher, MD, PhD.
December 3, 2001—For
more than half a century, community water fluoridation has been the
cornerstone of caries prevention
in the United States. As noted in my May 2000 report, Oral
Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General, community
water fluoridation continues to be the most cost-effective, practical
and safe means for reducing and controlling the occurrence of tooth decay
in a community. In
thousands of communities in the United States where naturally-occurring fluoride levels are
deficient, small amounts of fluoride have been added to drinking water supplies with dramatic
results. More than 50 years of scientific research has found that people living in communities with
fluoridated water have healthier teeth and fewer cavities than those living where the water is
not fluoridated.
Almost two-thirds of
the United States population served by public water supplies consume water with optimal
fluoride levels. Of the 50 largest cities in the country, 43 are
fluoridated. A significant
advantage of water fluoridation is that anyone, regardless of
socioeconomic level, can enjoy
these health benefits during their daily lives—at home, work, or at
school or play—simply by
drinking fluoridated water or beverages prepared with fluoridated water.
Water fluoridation is
a powerful strategy in our efforts to eliminate health disparities among
populations. Unfortunately,
over one-third of the United States population (100 million people) is without this
critical public
health measure.
The U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has recognized the fluoridation of drinking
water as one of ten great
public health achievements of the twentieth century. Water fluoridation has helped improve the
quality of life in the United States through reduced pain and suffering related to
tooth decay, reduced time
lost from school and work, and less money spent to restore, remove, or replace decayed teeth.
Fluoridation is the single most effective public health measure to prevent
tooth decay and improve
oral health over a lifetime, for both children and adults.
Water fluoridation
continues to be a highly cost-effective strategy, even in areas where the overall caries level has
declined and the cost of implementing water fluoridation has increased. Compared to the cost of
restorative treatment, water fluoridation actually provides cost savings,
a rare
characteristic for community-based disease prevention strategies.
While we can be pleased
with what has already been accomplished, it is clear that there is much yet to be done. I join
previous Surgeons General in acknowledging the continuing public health role for community water
fluoridation in enhancing the oral health of all Americans.
David Satcher, MD,
PhD
Surgeon General
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This
statement is also available as a
PDF
file (PDF–90K). Learn about viewing PDF files with Adobe
Acrobat.
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Date last reviewed:
September 26, 2007
Date last updated: September 26, 2007
Content source:
Division of Oral Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion |
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