SURGEON GENERAL'S ADDRESS INCLUDES ENDORSEMENT OF FLUORIDE

In a recent address to attendees at the National Oral Health Conference held in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA, said "As Surgeon General I have been working hard to encourage individuals and communities to make healthy choices because I believe it is better to prevent illness and disease rather than treat it after it occurs

Click to read more ...

NEW UNC STUDY SHOWS BENEFIT OF WATER FLUORIDATION FOR ADULTS

On March 1, the University of North Carolina released a report on the effects of fluoridated drinking water on dental caries in Australian adults. The report, which was published in the Journal of Dental Research, showed that adults with greater lifetime exposure to fluoridated water had lower levels of caries experience.

Click to read more ...

Everett, Port Orchard, Renton City Councils Revisit Water Fluoridation

 In the past six months, the City Councils of Everett, Port Orchard and Renton have been reviewing whether they will continue the practice of fluoridating their water supplies. Next week, the Renton City Council will have public hearing on community water fluoridation in their community. Similar hearings were held by City Councils in Everett and Port Orchard earlier this year.

Click to read more ...

Flouridated water a safe, low-cost public health tool

By Dr. Gary Goldbaum and Stephen J. Lee, DDS

Opinions about the safety of our community's drinking water were expressed in the March 24 guest commentary, "Fluoridated water supply: Utility should have to prove its safety." We'd like to present the facts.

Twenty years ago this spring, the City of Everett began adding fluoride to its public drinking water. Fluoride exists naturally in virtually all water supplies. Water is "fluoridated" when a public water system adjusts the fluoride to a level known to prevent tooth decay. Fluoridation is simple, safe and inexpensive, and has contributed significantly to the remarkable decline in tooth decay in the United States since the practice began in 1945.

From the early 1970s to the present, the proportion of adolescents with tooth decay has decreased from 90 percent to 60 percent. Among adults the number of teeth with cavities decreased from 18 to 10. Although these are notable declines in tooth decay, it remains the most common chronic disease of childhood.

Click to continue reading