Fluoridated water has been called one of the top 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century, but there is still some trepidation about fluoridation.
To help dispel the myths of fluoridation, we wanted to cover the biggest benefits of fluoridation:
- Access to fluoridated water reduces cavities. Studies confirm that fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by 20 to 40 percent.
- Fluoridation provides benefits to people of all ages, from young children to seniors.
- Fluoridation benefits people without requiring them to spend money or change their routine.
- Poor dental health can lead to poor overall health, driving up the cost of health care. Research has linked gum disease to heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
- People with serious dental problems encounter difficulty finding good jobs as adults.1
- Children with dental problems are much more likely to miss school and fall behind academically.2
- Fluoridated water saves taxpayers money by lowering Medicaid costs and reducing family health care costs. In fact, for every dollar invested in water fluoridation, $38 are saved on unnecessary dental treatment costs.
- Fluoridation keeps employees at work. Employed adults lost more than 164 million hours of work each year due to oral health problems or dental visits.
Get more information about fluoridation.
1 M. Willis, C. Esqueda, and R. Schact, “Social Perceptions of Individuals Missing Upper Front Teeth,” Perceptual and Motor Skills, Vol. 106 (2008), 423–435.
2 S. Blumenshine et al., “Children’s School Performance: Impact of General and Oral Health,” Journal of Public Health Dentistry, Vol. 68 (2008): 82–87.