Health protection: Fluoridation and dental health

Abstract

Tooth decay, which affects 95 percent of Americans, is our most common health problem, costing an estimated +2 billion yearly for treatment. By the time children reach 17 years of age, 94 percent have experienced caries and 36 percent have lost one or more permanent teeth due to caries. Dental disease prevention embodies the spectrum of many activities from the fluoridation of community and school water supplies to the dental health education of the child and adult. At this stage of our knowledge, the most effective and cost-beneficial intervention is fluoridation. Fluoridation can reduce the incidence of dental caries by about 65 percent, reduce the need for multiple surface fillings, crowns and extractions, and significantly increase the number of children who are completely free of cavities. No other public health measure is as effective in building a decay-resistant tooth while being available to all without regard to education or socio-economic background. The number of people served by fluoridated water systems has increased steadily since its introduction. Currently, however, less than half of all Americans have access to fluoridated water. In areas where community water supplies are not fluoridated, school drinking water is seldom fluoridated despite evidence supporting the efficacy of this procedure.