| Fluoride: Nature's Cavity Fighter in the News
Cavities used to be a fact of life. But over the past few decades, tooth decay has been reduced dramatically  .
The key reason: fluoride.
Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in all water sources, including the oceans, in lakes and in underground water sources. Extensive research has shown that optimal levels of fluoride not only reduce cavities in children and adults, it also helps repair the early stages of tooth decay even before the decay is visible.
Some recent news reports have raised questions about the safety of fluoride in drinking water. But according to Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, “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.”
Fluoride in Our Bodies
Fluoride is obtained in two forms: topical and systemic. Topical fluorides are found in many types of toothpaste, mouth rinses and in special gels or pastes applied in the dental office.
Systemic fluorides are those that are ingested. They include fluoridated water and dietary fluoride supplements in the form of tablets, drops or lozenges. Systemic fluorides are integrated into children's teeth as their tooth structures form.
The greatest reduction in tooth decay is achieved when fluoride is available both topically and systemically. Water fluoridation provides both types of contact.
Return to Top Sources of fluoride
Community water fluoridation is an extremely effective and inexpensive means of obtaining the fluoride necessary to prevent tooth decay. Studies prove that water fluoridation continues to be effective in reducing tooth decay by 20 to 40 percent.
Leading health organizations, including the American Dental Association, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry support community water fluoridation based on the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence, which continues to establish that it is safe and effective. Water fluoridation reduces tooth decay in both children and adults.
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How much fluoride is in your water?
If your water comes from a public or community water supply, contact the local water supplier to determine the fluoride level. You can also check your local, county or state health department.
There are two Internet sites that also supply information. One is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's web (EPA) site for water quality reports (called Consumer Confidence Reports ). Another is the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) fluoridation Web site, “My Water's Fluoride .” For those states that have provided information to the CDC, the agency's Web site lists fluoridation status by water system.
If your water source is a private well, it will need to be tested and the results obtained from a certified laboratory. Contact your local or state health department for information about where you can have a water sample tested.
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Water Quality Reports
In 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began requiring water suppliers to put annual drinking water quality reports into the hands of their customers. Water Quality Reports, (or Consumer Confidence Reports—CCRs) typically may be mailed to your home, placed in the local newspaper or made available through the Internet around July 1 each year. To obtain a copy of the report, contact your local water supplier. The name of the water system (often not the name of the city) can be found on your water bill. If the name of the system is unknown, contact the local health department.
Although the EPA does not have the authority to regulate private drinking water wells, the agency recommends that private well water be tested every year. And although the EPA does not specifically recommend testing private wells for fluoride levels, health professionals will need this information before consideration of prescription of dietary fluoride supplements or to counsel patients about alternative water sources to reduce the risk of fluorosis if the fluoride levels are above 2ppm.
The ADA offers a comprehensive, well-researched publication, Fluoridation Facts that contains answers to frequently asked questions regarding community water fluoridation.
Answers to the questions in Fluoridation Facts are based on generally accepted, peer-reviewed, scientific evidence. They are offered to assist policy makers and the general public in making informed decisions. The answers are supported by thousands of credible scientific articles, which include more than 350 references.
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Fluoride Supplements
Dietary fluoride supplements (tablets, drops or lozenges) are available only by prescription and are intended for use by children ages six months to 16 years living in areas that do not have an optimal amount of fluoride in their drinking water. For maximum effectiveness, fluoride supplements require long-term compliance on a daily basis.
The recommended dosage is based on the natural fluoride concentration of the child's drinking water and the age of the child. If the fluoride level of the home's drinking water is unknown (if you are on a private well, for example), the water should be tested for fluoride before supplements are prescribed.
Parents and caregivers should carefully monitor the use of all fluoride-containing dental products by children under age six because ingestion of higher than recommended levels of fluoride by children has been associated with an increased risk of very mild to mild dental fluorosis, in developing, unerupted teeth. This type of fluorosis is a cosmetic effect with no known health consequences.
To get the optimal benefits of fluoride, place only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on a young child's toothbrush at each brushing. Young children should be supervised while brushing and taught to spit out, rather than swallow, the toothpaste. Consult with your child's dentist or physician if you are considering using fluoride toothpaste before the child reaches age two. Additionally, the use of fluoride mouth rinses is not recommended for children under six years of age because they may swallow the rinse.
For information—with a comprehensive list of questions and answers about fluoride and fluoridation—see A-Z Topics: Fluoride & Fluoridation.
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to individual questions about fees, dental problems, conditions, diagnoses,
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