What do health experts say?
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
“The American Academy of Family Physicians supports fluoridation of public water supplies as a safe, economical, and effective method to prevent dental caries.”
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
“Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood, and water fluoridation is one of the most important public health initiatives in the 20th century. The AAP agrees that water fluoridation is beneficial for reducing and controlling tooth decay and promoting oral health in children and adults.”
American Association for Dental Research (AADR)
“While AADR always welcomes research on water fluoridation safety and effectiveness in the current context of fluoride availability, the balance of evidence currently shows that community water fluoridation is safe, effective and cost-saving and in some communities, reduces oral health disparities. Therefore, AADR supports community water fluoridation and recommends the fluoridation of community water sources to a level of 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water.”
American Dental Association (ADA)
“Community water fluoridation is the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay. … For nearly 70 years, studies have consistently shown that fluoridation of community water supplies is safe and effective in preventing dental decay in both children and adults. … The American Dental Association continues to endorse fluoridation of community water supplies as safe and effective for preventing tooth decay. This support has been the Association’s position since policy was first adopted in 1950.”
American Public Health Association (APHA)
“Water fluoridation is safe and the most cost-effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay for everyone, regardless of age. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease, affecting almost everyone; and since the advent of fluoridation, the prevalence of tooth decay, especially among children, has markedly decreased.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
“The safety and benefits of fluoride are well documented. For 70 years, people in the United States have benefited from drinking water with fluoride, leading to better dental health. Drinking fluoridated water keeps the teeth strong and reduced tooth decay by approximately 25% in children and adults. By preventing tooth decay, community water fluoridation has been shown to save money, both for families and the health care system. … the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named community water fluoridation one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.”
National Academy of Medicine (NAM)
“Community water fluoridation is credited with significantly reducing caries incidence in the United States, and it was recognized as one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. Evidence continues to show that community water fluoridation is effective, safe, and inexpensive, and it is associated with significant cost savings.”
World Health Organization (WHO)
“People of all ages, including the elderly, benefit from community water fluoridation. … Fluoridation of water supplies, where possible, is the most effective public health measure for the prevention of dental decay. … The consensus among dental experts is that fluoridation is the single most important intervention to reduce dental caries, not least because water is an essential part of the diet for everyone in the community, regardless of their motivation to maintain oral hygiene or their willingness to attend or pay for dental treatment.”
What Surgeons General Have Said
