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Fluoridation
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Fluoride, a naturally occurring compound in the environment, can reduce or prevent tooth decay. Adding or maintaining tiny levels of fluoride in drinking water is a safe and effective public health measure to prevent and control tooth decay.
Overview
Nearly 70% of US residents who get water from community water systems now receive fluoridated water, according to a new study by CDC's Division of Oral Health. The proportion of the US population receiving fluoridated water, about 184 million people, increased from 62.1 percent in 1992 to 69.2 percent in 2006, according to the study in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports.
"Community water fluoridation is an equitable, cost-effective, and cost-saving method of delivering fluoride to most people," said Dr. William Maas, director of CDC's Division of Oral Health. "We've seen some marked improvements; however, there are still too many states that have not met the national goal. The national goal is that 75% of the US residents who are on community water systems be receiving fluoridated water by 2010."
The report, "Populations Receiving Optimally Fluoridated Public Drinking Water—United States 1992-2006," provides the most recent information on the status of fluoridated water by state. The report found the percentage of people served by community water systems with optimal levels of fluoridated water ranged from 8.4 percent in Hawaii to 100 percent in the District of Columbia.
Public Health
CDC works to enhance oral disease prevention in state and community settings by strengthening public health infrastructure to support oral disease prevention efforts, and fostering applied research. Activities focus on
- Helping states improve oral health.
- Encouraging effective use of fluoride.
- Promoting use of dental sealants.
- Guiding infection control in dentistry.
- Supporting a national research network.
- Monitoring oral health in America.
Additional Information
For more information on community water fluoridation, listen to the podcast, "Keep on Smiling". Dr. William Bailey of the CDC's Division of Oral Health discusses:
- How community water fluoridation is managed.
- What effect fluoridation has on the oral health of communities where it's used.
- Why some communities don't add fluoride to their water.
This video discusses the importance of water fluoridation and it's role in oral health.
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