For many decades, the controversial topic of this association with public health has been fluoride. Adding fluoride to our water supplies has been an important step in lifting dental health for whole communities everywhere. So, today as we examine why fluoride is so awesome and how it presumably works while trying to figure out if this grand public health experiment still holds up — check community dental benefits against fluoridated water.
What is Fluoride, and How Does It Work?
Dental fluoride is a mineral bestowed upon the tooth with the ability to fight decay. Dental fluorides form an acid-resistant enamel that stops the penetration of harmful acids produced by plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth. Hydrofluoride mixes with water and dental products to incorporate into the enamel of your teeth, strengthening them and consequently improving their resistance to decay. This is particularly important when the teeth are in their developing stages, although it proved helpful throughout the whole lifetime. The property of fluoride regarding tooth remineralization against decayed dentin has been one of the biggest discoveries concerning oral health.
Fluoride in Nature
Fluoride can be found naturally in rocks, soil and even the concrete from which water systems are made. The reality is that some parts of the country naturally fluoridate their water supplies at a level ideal for good public health, which will generally be those locations where concentrations are too low to help prevent much disease in others. This was the rationale behind the concept of adding fluoride to the public water supplies to begin with-a process termed water fluoridation.
Water Fluoridation: Where It All Started
The process of water fluoridation actually initiated within the United States back in the 1940s, where researchers developed a notion that communities with naturally high levels of fluoride in their water supplies had a low prevalence rate of tooth decaying. The result of this discovery was the encouragement of further research studies, which finally hinted that the addition of fluoride in the water supplies would have a high impact on dental health within the community. Back in 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan was the first city to start fluoridating its water supply however today it has been implemented worldwide and is now accepted as a normal component of public health policy.
The International Spread of Water Fluoridation
Water fluoridation began in the US, but has also been used elsewhere. The major countries currently with substantial water fluoridation policies include Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated to be around 10 % that get fluoridated water, but of course this will change based on the region selected or the specific area one might reside in. Fluoridation programs also remain in development overseas, especially with the increasing locations without readily available sources of dental fluoride, such as toothpaste.
Benefits of Fluoride in Water
Various studies have cited some of the benefits of fluoride, especially in preventing dental decays for children and vulnerable populations. Some of the key benefits of the mineral will include the following:
1. Prevention of Tooth Decay
Among the primary advantages of fluoridated water are preventing tooth decay. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and thereby provides greater protection against decay by acids that plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth produce. Communities with access to fluoridated water have continued to show rates of cavities and dental decay, especially in children, who benefit the most from early fluoride exposure.
2. Cost-effective Public Health Measure
By providing universal access to fluoride, it has proven water fluoridation to be a powerful public health intervention. Water fluoridation, however, benefits all residents of a community regardless of age or income and is not dependent on access to care (unlike dental treatments/products like fluoride toothpaste and mouthrinses). Water fluoridation results in an estimated $38 savings in dental treatment costs for each dollar spent, and is therefore a cost-effective public health intervention because of these facts.
3. Reducing Dental Health Disparities
Limited access to dental services and products means that communities in the low socioeconomic group have more instances of dental diseases. The fluoridated water levels the playing field by providing a low cost available to all preventive services, especially those who may not seek frequent treatments or cannot afford fluoride topical products.
4. Promotes Dental Health Throughout the Lifecycle
While children gain the most benefit from fluoride exposure in regards to teeth formation, there are benefits of fluoridated water among adults and seniors as well. Prevent disease and tooth decay by adults, preventing cavities among seniors, for example reducing the risk of experiencing losses from extending into your adult permanent teeth through Fluoride lifewater. Oral health is a very important feature of general health because many associations have been established between oral and systemic diseases like heart disease or diabetes.
The Role of Fluoridation in Public Health
Community water fluoridation is recognized by the CDC as one of the 10 great public health achievements in the 20th century. Because of its wide usage, especially in communities dogged by an utmost shortage of dental health care, it has saved thousands upon countless numbers all over your planet from bad oral cleanliness. One of the 10 great public health achievements on which CDC has recognized community water fluoridation was in1999 largely for improvements in oral health conditions and prevention of tooth decay throughout America.
Scientific Consensus on Fluoridation
The scientific consensus is that water fluoridation remains safe and effective in reducing tooth decay to improve public health; major U.S. healthcare organizations such as American Dental Association, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization support its use. There is no doubt that treating municipal water with fluoride has been proven time and again to reduce tooth decay by 25% in both children and adults.
Fluoridation Controversy: Addressing Concerns
Unfortunately, despite the many obvious benefits to drinking fluoridated water, this has been a hot-button lobbying issue at some point or another among various populations. Those who take the view continue to do so, saying that too much fluoride will be hazardous, risking dental fluorosis or other unspecified health problems down the line. Countless studies have emphasized loudly that the amounts of fluoride used in water fluoridation programs are not harmful and thus safe for consumption at proper levels.
Dental Fluorosis: A Common Concern
One of the most common concerns when dental fluorosis is mentioned is water fluoridation. With young children, milder discoloration or pitting of the surface can take place if fluoride is overused while baby teeth are still developing. It is a reasonable observation, but in general dental fluorosis is only mildly cosmetic and usually out of aesthetic concern. If the odds on this are so low, then the risks of fluoridation must be considered lower than those associated with fluoride added to toothpaste or mouthwashes and drastically lower in relation to economic costs involved if we were to take other measures against caries.
Ongoing Research Regulation
Health authorities, therefore, monitor the levels and regulate them with great care to make sure that they do not rise above the maximum limits. As a matter of fact, HHS in the U.S., for instance, has recommended a concentration of 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water, a level which is believed to pose the protective effects of fluoride with the risk of overexposure. This threshold is based on very extensive scientific research and is under ongoing review to keep it safe.
Fluoridation of Water in the Future
In the light of continued improvement in dental health across much of the world, many communities have questioned the need for continued water fluoridation. However, dental fluoride continues to confer benefits that cannot be overstated. Where water fluoridation has been discontinued in many areas around the world, the rate of tooth decay often noticeably rises. Because of this, many public health advocates continue to believe in and support the expansion of water fluoridation programs, especially in underserved communities of people.
Alternatives to Water Fluoridation
Whilst fluoridated water is one of the most effective means of delivering fluoride to a population, there are alternatives for protection against caries attack; these include: fluoride toothpaste, professional topical application and other preventative materials such as mouth rinses.
Conclusion: A Proven Public Health Strategy
There is clear evidence in support of fluoridated water; it is safe, and at quite low cost, an effective means of reducing tooth decay and improving community dental health. Although some quarters express concern about the safety of fluoride, the overwhelming weight of scientific studies has consistently demonstrated its safety at recommended levels. This ongoing investment in water fluoridation programs also levels the playing field for all residents of our communities, so that those tooth-protecting benefits provided by fluoride are available to every single one no matter their income or ability to access dental care.
Fluoride continues to be such an important advance in public health today as it was during the early years of water fluoridation. At the same time, that benefits local dental health in a very large way and gives us the weapon needed to slowly decrease decay rates; improve quality of life ranges generally.
