The Campaign for Dental Health, a program of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is pleased to kick off the #HealthyCommunities initiative during National Public Health Week, April 3-7, 2017. To be healthy, kids need healthy teeth. Yet childhood dental disease stubbornly remains the most common chronic disease of childhood. Help us raise the visibility of […]
Search Results for: disparities
Troubled Waters in Flint
Contributed by: Brittany Seymour, DDS, MPH, with acknowledgements to Janice Cho and Brittanie Dillon We may not have consensus on the definition of social justice, or how to achieve it, but certainly we can agree what’s transgressed in Flint, Michigan is a true mark of social injustice. Over a decade ago, financial crises paved the […]
The Cochrane Review of Community Water Fluoridation
In October 2000, the U.S. Community Preventive Services Task Force recommended community water fluoridation (CWF). In April 2013, the Task Force reaffirmed this recommendation and cited “strong evidence” of CWF’s ability to reduce the rate of tooth decay. A new review by the Cochrane Oral Health Group Review concludes that the introduction of CWF “resulted […]
Common questions about fluoride
1. What do we know about fluoride and fluoridation? Fluoride exists naturally in nearly all water supplies. Water is “fluoridated” when a public water system adjusts the fluoride to a level that is optimal for preventing tooth decay. About 75 percent of Americans whose homes are connected to public water systems receive fluoridated water. However, […]
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 […]
Fluoride Myths & Facts
Fact 1 Fluoride occurs naturally in water, though usually not at a high enough level to protect teeth. Fluoride is a mineral that exists naturally in all water supplies: lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Some U.S. communities, such as El Paso, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida, have enough natural fluoride in their water to prevent tooth decay. […]
Is Fluoridation Effective?
Fluoridated water adds even more to the protection our teeth get from toothpaste and other fluoride products. And it is the most cost-effective and equitable way to prevent dental disease for everyone. Here is a sample of studies confirming the benefits of fluoridating public water systems. Fluoridation reduces tooth decay in children. A study (2018) of […]
What Do Water Fluoridation Supporters Say?
Academy of General Dentistry: “Fluoride makes the entire tooth structure more resistant to decay and promotes remineralization, which aids in repairing early decay before damage is even visible. Studies have confirmed the most effective source of fluoride to be water fluoridation.” “Instead of drilling holes to fix cavities, dentists would rather educate the public on […]
Children Deserve Healthy Teeth
More than half of 6-8 year olds (56%) experience dental caries – tooth decay – according to data just released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics. For children under the age of 5, the rate is nearly 1 in 4 kids (23%). Key findings from the CDC […]
Promising Trends Show Reductions in Early Childhood Dental Disease
On October 28, the American Dental Association (ADA) announced that preliminary data from the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) show a downward trend in the proportion of children 2-5 years old with early childhood caries in the U.S. The proportion of decayed teeth that had been restored reflects an increase in treatment […]
