Nearly all tooth decay can be prevented when fluoridation is combined with dental sealants and other fluoride products, such as toothpaste.

Why is water fluoridation so important? People who live in communities with fluoridated drinking water experience 15 to 40 percent less tooth decay than those without fluoridation. When fluoride is ingested, it is absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract and distributed by the bloodstream to the bones and hard tissues of the teeth, making them less susceptible to decay.

The American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005 celebrated the 60th anniversary of community water fluoridation in the United States — a development the CDC refers to as the “single most cost-effective public health measure of the 20th century.”

What it is

Fluoride is a compound of the element fluorine, which is present naturally in water, soil, air and in many foods. Fluoride is absorbed easily into tooth enamel, especially in children's growing teeth, and once teeth are developed, fluoride makes the entire tooth structure more resistant to decay.

Although public water fluoridation is considered the most efficient and cost-effective way to prevent cavities, other sources of fluoridation need to be considered, since a number of states or counties still don’t have fluoridated tap water. (For state statistics, see the map with this article. You may check with your local water department for more current numbers.)

Another reason to be concerned about intake of fluoridated water is that people are drinking more bottled water, which contains minimal amounts of fluoride. In-home filtration systems may also eliminate the fluoride in tap water.

If you or your children don’t ingest much fluoridated water, here are some ways you can add more fluoride to your diet:

• Commercially prepared foods and beverages that are fluoride-fortified.
• Fluoridated toothpaste and/or professionally-applied gels or varnishes. These products can help strengthen teeth by hardening the outer enamel surface.
• Dietary fluoride supplements (tablets, drops or lozenges). Supplements are available only by prescription and are intended for children ages six months to 16 years living in areas without fluoridated water in their community.

Delta Dental’s involvement

Across the country, nearly 67 percent of all Americans have the benefit of fluoridated water. However, there are still many states with limited public access to fluoridated water. Fortunately, Delta Dental’s involvement in fluoridation advocacy has improved this picture. The company has been active in the California community water fluoridation effort as a member of the California Fluoridation Advisory Council, playing a part in an effort that will result in 2007 in an expansion of fluoridation to 18 million residents in southern California who receive water from the Metropolitan Water District. The CFAC is a public-private partnership includes the California Department of Health Services, the California Dental Association, the Dental Health Foundation and several other interested agencies.

Delta Dental hosted the nation’s first national fluoridation summit, sponsored a subsequent fluoridation summit offered by the American Dental Association, participated in trainings of oral health advocates on effective fluoridation advocacy in Albany, New York and Atlanta, Georgia, and is currently supporting legislation in Pennsylvania to expand fluoridation.

Wherever there is opportunity in Delta Dental’s 15 state operating area, Delta Dental is ready to lend a helping hand in order to expand an activity heralded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as one of the ten most important public health measures of the 20th century.