Why fluoride in water

In: Gies WJ, ed. Fluorine in Dental Public Health. Effect of fluoridated public water supply on dental caries prevalence. Public Health Rep.

An economic evaluation of community water fluoridation. J Public Health Dent. Top of Page. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Community Water Fluoridation. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Water Fluoridation Basics. Minus Related Pages. On This Page. To receive email updates about Community Water Fluoridation, enter your email address: Email Address.

They do this because fluoride can effectively prevent or, in some cases, reverse the formation of tooth cavities. Fluoride promotes the remineralization of teeth, strengthening their enamel and thus helping them fight off the bacteria that cause decay. For this same reason, most types of toothpaste and many mouthwash products contain some fluoride. However, ingested fluoride tends to accumulate in our bones, which has led some people to worry that drinking fluoridated water might increase the risk of various health problems.

These include cancer , particularly osteosarcoma, which is a type of cancer that starts in the bones. Such concerns led the City Assembly of Juneau to direct the cessation of fluoridation of community water in their area, with effect from The research team, which Jennifer Meyer from the University of Alaska Anchorage led, looked at the dental records of all the children and adolescents in Juneau who accessed dental health services through Medicaid during and The researchers compared this data with that of 1, children and adolescents who received dental care in , 5 years after the City Assembly of Juneau had voted for the cessation of community water fluoridation.

This suggests that the added fluoride did have a protective effect on oral health, which is missing now that community water supplies no longer go through the fluoridation process. Meyer and team also found that, as a consequence, the costs of providing dental care to Juneau inhabitants aged 0—18 years had significantly increased in compared with , even after adjusting to accommodate the effects of inflation.

However, a more intriguing finding of the study was that children younger than 7 years received more numerous interventions for the treatment of cavities in than children who were in the same age group in Once more, the researchers found a corresponding increase in costs for dental care in young children in Since fluoride occurs naturally in water, community water sources for Juneau still contain some of this mineral even after the cessation of artificial fluoridation.

Fluoride is found naturally in soil, water, and foods. Readers should note that over time currency and completeness of the information may change. All users should seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for a diagnosis and answers to their medical questions. Skip to navigation Skip to main content Site map Accessibility Contact us.

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What are the benefits of drinking fluoridated water? Are there any adverse health effects from drinking fluoridated drinking water? Are there guidelines for fluoride levels in drinking water supplies? Who supports fluoridation of drinking water?

What does the Therapeutic Goods Administration say? Is bottled water fluoridated? This labelling allows consumers to make informed decisions about their drinking water. What advice is provided for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, or for making infant formula? Can I remove fluoride from my drinking water?