November 2nd, 2023 Children's Oral Health and Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health, Health Equity
A new study has linked community water fluoridation (CWF) in Israel with lower rates of tooth decay. The authors found no link between decay and the effects of free dental services which were mandated in 2014. When Israel adopted nationwide water fluoridation in 2002, tooth decay among children fell significantly. The practice was discontinued in […]
July 17th, 2023 Facts about Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health, Fluoride in water, 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 recommend 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 and Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health, Fluoride, Oral Health, and Access to Care, Health Equity
A team of researchers in England examined the impact of fluoride in water and reported “strong evidence for a highly clinically significant reduction” in the amount 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 on […]
April 6th, 2023 Communities Supporting Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health, 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, Communities Supporting Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health, 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 12th, 2023 Facts about Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health, Fluoride in water
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 […]
November 22nd, 2022 Facts about Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health
Founder of modern dentistry. Father of operative dentistry. The grand old man of dentistry. Greene Vardiman Black was born in 1836 and took an interest in medicine at age 17 but happened upon and settled into dentistry as a career interest when he was 21. After an apprenticeship that was typical of the time, he […]
October 12th, 2022 Children's Oral Health and Fluoride, Facts about Fluoride, Fluoride and Public Health
A new study from Australia strengthens confidence in the safety of fluoridated water with regard to the cognitive and behavioral development of children. The study found no link between greater exposure to fluoridated water and lower scores on key measures of emotional and behavioral development. Drawing from data on more than 2,600 children, this study […]
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