Do you have questions about fluoridation? Get your answers here. Make sure you know the facts, so you and your family can speak out about the importance of fluoride and dental health!
Yes, fluoride is safe. U.S. water supplies have been fluoridated for more than 60 years with exceptional results. The safety and effectiveness of fluoridation has been proven over and over again. In fact, virtually every public health organization and medical and dental association considers fluoridation to be an exceptionally safe and effective tool for improving community dental health.
Absolutely. Everybody who drinks fluoridated water benefits from it. Dental decay – for both children and adults – in areas with fluoridated water is up to 40 percent less than in unfluoridated areas.
Seniors especially benefit from fluoridated water. Drinking water with adequate fluoride helps seniors keep their teeth and reduces the need for expensive dental care. Seniors are at a high risk for many forms of dental disease because many suffer from receding gums or take medications that interfere with the body's ability to bring minerals to the teeth. Fluoridated water is proven to substantially reduce decay under both conditions.
Fluoridation costs next to nothing. In fact, it can save millions of dollars in health care costs. Public water fluoridation costs between $.50 and $3.00 per person annually.7 Every $1 invested in fluoridation yields approximately $38 in savings in dental treatment costs.5/13
Toothpaste contains concentrated amounts of fluoride because it is intended to be used on the surface of your teeth. Toothpaste has 1,000 to 1,500 times more fluoride than optimally fluoridated drinking water. Fluoridated water contains an extremely small amount of fluoride (approximately 1 part per million).
Modern standards for water fluoridation have been adjusted to account for other sources of fluoride. The fact that tooth decay is still a serious problem shows that people do not get enough fluoride. When a case of fluorosis (or overexposure) occurs, it is typically due to swallowing too much toothpaste, which has 1,000 to 1,500 times more fluoride than optimally fluoridated water. Fluorosis is a treatable cosmetic problem, and experts do not consider it a health problem.
For optimal dental health, your teeth need to receive fluoride in two very important ways: systemically and topically. You need to apply fluoride directly on the surface of the tooth, as well internally through your system to strengthen teeth from the inside.
Fluoride toothpaste and dental treatments are great for bringing high concentrations of fluoride directly to teeth. But these methods are not very effective at providing fluoride through your body. Drinking water with adequate fluoride works both on the tooth surface and in your body by providing you with a very small yet regular amount that helps build and maintain strong teeth (1 part per million).
No. In fact, fluoride is one of the earth's most common elements, and is naturally found in varying concentrations in all water.
Decades of research have found no harmful health effects associated with fluoridation, not even allergic reactions. The American Academy of Allergy thoroughly investigated alleged cases of fluoride allergy and concluded that there was no evidence of allergy or intolerance to fluorides as used in the fluoridation of community water supplies.
Fluoridation benefits everyone, just like seatbelts, vitamin D fortified milk and iodized salt. The simple fact is that some water doesn't naturally contain enough fluoride to keep our mouths healthy. Fluoridation dramatically reduces the number of painful and expensive cases of dental disease across the community. With fluoridated water, everyone in the community benefits regardless of age or socioeconomic status.
Absolutely not. The EPA issues guidelines for environmentally safe concentrations of fluoride, and optimally fluoridated water is far below that level.
No European country has banned water fluoridation. Fluoridation is recognized throughout the world as a safe and effective way to improve everyone's dental health. Most European countries find it impractical to fluoridate because of their numerous water sources and complex water systems. As an alternative to water fluoridation, most of Europe fluoridates salt.
Fluoride is not a toxic waste. It is a mineral byproduct of mining and is purified and inspected. Every batch of fluoride is rigorously tested to ensure that it meets or exceeds national and international safety standards. Studies show that communities with fluoridated water have dramatically lower rates of dental disease.
Fluoride is a byproduct of fertilizer production. Byproducts are not toxic waste products. Byproducts are materials produced as a result of producing something else and may in themselves be valuable resources.
The reports are false. These claims are based on incomplete or faulty studies that don’t follow accepted scientific methods. They are simply not true.
More than 60 years of continuous and thorough scientific study of the effects of fluoridation demonstrate that consuming fluoridated water greatly improves dental health with no negative health effects, both in the short term and over a lifetime.
“I am proud of my family’s healthy lifestyle and yet my children have needed a lot of dental work. I grew up in a fluoridated city and never had this kind of dental decay. All kids need the benefits of fluoridation, no matter where they live.”