July 17th, 2023 Fluoride and Public Health, What the Experts Say about Fluoride
Like any vitamin or trace element, fluoride in water must be properly balanced for maximum benefit to prevent tooth decay. The recommended amount of fluoride in water is currently 0.7 parts per million, a level that prevents both cavities and fluorosis. Although fluoride occurs naturally in all water, in the U.S. it rarely exceeds the […]
July 5th, 2023 Children's Oral Health and Fluoride, Communities Supporting Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health
In the early 1950s, health officials in cities across the United States, including those in Seattle, Washington, were eager to replicate the massive success of the first longitudinal fluoridation study in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Seattle-King County Department of Public Health first proposed fluoridating Seattle’s water in 1951. The city council put the proposal to […]
June 22nd, 2023 Children's Oral Health, Health Equity, Infographics
The AAP Oral Health Risk Assessment tool has been updated to streamline and support this essential component of the well-child visit. The tool is now accompanied by an intake form to collect pertinent patient information from parents/caregivers. An updated self-management goal sheet supports shared decision-making on preventing cavities and maintaining healthy teeth at home. The […]
June 22nd, 2023 Children's Oral Health and Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health, Health Equity
A team of researchers in England examined the impact of community water fluoridation and has reported “strong evidence for a highly clinically significant reduction” in the prevalence and severity of tooth decay. This new study, The effect of community water fluoridation on dental caries in children and young people in England: an ecological study, focused […]
April 6th, 2023 Communities Supporting Fluoride, Health Equity, Sustain or Initiate Fluoridation in your Community
In the United Kingdom, the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) is urging the government to pursue six strategies to reduce disparities in children’s oral health. One of the six strategies advanced by ADPH is to increase the number of community water fluoridation programs. ADPH describes fluoridation as “the single most effective public health […]
February 1st, 2023 Children's Oral Health and Fluoride, Fluoride in the News
City officials and local health advocates in Buffalo, New York, were recently shocked to learn that the city’s water system had stopped fluoridating drinking water in 2015. Regulations established by the Safe Drinking Water Act require a report each April of the previous year’s water quality. Yet, water officials in Buffalo only disclosed this in […]
January 31st, 2023 Children's Oral Health and Fluoride, Facts about Fluoride, Partners in Fluoride
The Campaign for Dental Health provides numerous resources to help you understand fluoridated water and address questions about fluoride. As part of that, we like to highlight what our partners say about fluoride. One of our closely aligned partners, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), has much to say about fluoride and fluoridated water. […]
January 12th, 2023 Facts about Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health
Years ago, research papers suggested that calling attention to public health myths and then correcting them could produce an unanticipated “backfire” effect. In other words, people might be more likely to remember the myths than to recall the facts (corrections). This issue has major implications for health educators who promote community water fluoridation. Fortunately, more […]
December 15th, 2022 Facts about Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health, Health Equity
There are proven community-level approaches that protect our teeth by preventing tooth decay. A new color-coded resource from the U.S. Community Preventive Services Task Force summarizes its recommendations to reduce the rate of tooth decay and improve our oral health. Community water fluoridation is one of the strategies that the Task Force recommends. The Task […]
December 12th, 2022 Children's Oral Health and Fluoride, Facts about Fluoride, What the Experts Say about Fluoride
Since 2014, the American Dental Association (ADA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) have all recommended that parents and caregivers use a rice-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste for children under the age of 3, to begin brushing with the very first tooth, and to do so twice […]
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