Applauded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the top 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, fluoridated water is not only recommended for children, but for adults as well. The addition of fluoride to municipal water systems, beginning in the 1940s, dramatically reduced dental decay in the United States, reports the CDC.
History
Fluoride occurs naturally in water, though not in the same concentration in all areas. A link between fluoride and the absence of dental decay began to be suspected in the early 1900s, and in 1945, eight cities were chosen to test whether adding fluoride to water would be an effective preventative. With four cities serving as testers and four as controls, researchers monitored the cities' children for 15 years and found that the incidence of dental decay declined as much as 70 percent in the communities that received fluoridation. This result prompted other communities to begin fluoridating water, and by 2002, more than half the population had access to fluoridated water.
Benefits
Water fluoridation costs cities just a few dimes per citizen each year, the CDC estimates, and reaches into even the poorest communities, where dental care might be considered a luxury. Because it protects the tooth enamel, preventing and even reversing decay, it saves countless dollars that would have been spent on dental treatment. The gap between communities with fluoridated water and those without has narrowed since the 1940s, as fluoride was added to more products, such as mouthwash, dental rinses and toothpaste.
Risks
Critics of fluoridation have said over the years that it may lead to everything from cancer to AIDS to Alzheimer's, the CDC reports. But no scientific evidence has surfaced to support those claims. The safety of fluoridation has been evaluated frequently, the agency says, and its benefits at the recommended levels continue to be seen. Too much fluoride, however, does pose a risk to developing teeth and may cause pitting and discoloration. Young children who ingest too much fluoride can suffer from fluoride toxicity, whose symptoms include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. This can last up to 24 hours, but the illness usually is not serious.
Considerations
According to KidsHealth.org, most children who drink tap water and use fluoride toothpaste will get enough fluoride. Children who live in communities that do not have fluoridated water, however, may benefit from supplements. Discuss with your dentist whether your child is getting enough fluoride. Bottled water usually does not contain fluoride, so children who do not drink tap water may also need supplementation.
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