Fluoride
Fluoride in community water systems prevents at least 25% of tooth decay in children and adults.
FLUORIDE is a naturally occurring mineral found in water that
helps prevent cavities by making the entire tooth more resistant to decay.
The element fluorine is abundant in the earth’s crust as a
naturally occurring fluoride compound found in rocks and soil.
Fluoridation of community water supplies is the single most effective measure to prevent tooth decay.
Studies have shown that water fluoridation can reduce decay in children's teeth by as much as 60%.
NATURE'S WAY TO PREVENT DECAY.
WHY FLUORIDATION?
Waters in and around the US
have natural fluoride levels of 0.1 to
more than 12 parts per million.
The optimal level for preventing tooth
decay is a range from 0.7 to 1.2 parts
per million.
Some communities are lucky enough
to have naturally occurring
optimal levels of fluoride in their
water supplies. However, most are not.
More than 60 years of research and
experience have shown that
fluoridation at optimal levels does not
harm people or the environment.
Over the past 70 years,
community
water fluoridation has
contributed to dramatic declines in both the prevalence
and severity of tooth
decay, leading the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention to name it as
one of 10 great public
health achievements of the
20th century (CDC).
