Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Fluoridation shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Fluoridation offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Fluoridation at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Fluoridation? Wrong! If the Fluoridation is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Fluoridation then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Fluoridation? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Fluoridation and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Fluoridation wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Fluoridation then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Fluoridation site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Fluoridation, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Fluoridation, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
Water fluoridation is the practice of adding
fluoride compounds to
water with the intended purpose of reducing
tooth decay in the general population. Many North American and Australian municipalities fluoridate their water supplies in the belief that this practice will reduce tooth decay at a low cost. Currently 66% of United States residents on public water supplies have fluoridated water.http://www.awwa.org/Advocacy/pressroom/fluoride.cfm
Water purveyors typically add a fluoride in the form of sodium hexafluorosilicate or hexafluorosilicic acid,Reeves T.G.: "Technical aspects of water fluoridation in the United States and an overview of fluoridation engineering world-wide", Community Dent. Health 13: Suppl. 2 (1996) 21-26. Bellack E.: "Fluoridation Engineering Manual", Report EPA-520/9-74-022, (1974). at a level between 0.7 and 1.2 part per million. These compounds originate as side products from the processing ("defluorination") of phosphate ores to prepare fertilizer, food additive etc.Bellack E., Baker R.J. (USPHS): "Fluoridation Chemicals - the supply picture", J. Am. Water Works Assn. 62 (1970) 223 Maier F.J. (USPHS): "Manual of Water Fluoridation Practice", McGraw Hill Book Co., New York 1963 Fluorides such as sodium fluoride (
SodiumFluorine), sodium monofluorophosphate ("SMFP" or "MFP", Na2FPO3),
tin(II) fluoride ("Stannous fluoride", TinF2), and
amine fluorides are common ingredients in toothpaste.
History
While the use of fluorides for prevention of dental caries was discussed in the 19th century in Europe,Meiers, Peter: "Early Fluoride research in Europe" from the Fluoride History website, page accessed 21 May, 2006. community water fluoridation in the United States owes its origin in part to the research of
Dr. Frederick McKay, who pressed the dental community for an investigation into what was then known as "Colorado brown stains." History of Dentistry in the Pikes Peak Region, Colorado Springs Dental Society webpage, page accessed 25 February, 2006. In 1909, of the 2,945 children seen by Dr. McKay, 87.5% had some degree of stain or mottling. All the affected children were from the Pikes Peak region. Despite having a negative impact on the physical appearance of their teeth, the children with stained or mottled teeth also had fewer cavities than other children. McKay brought the problem to the attention of Greene Vardiman Black, and Black's interest into the Colorado stain led to greater interest throughout the dental profession.
Initial hypotheses for the staining included poor
nutrition, overconsumption of pork or
milk, radium exposure,
List of childhood diseasess, or a calcium deficiency in the local drinking water. History of Dentistry in the Pikes Peak Region, Colorado Springs Dental Society webpage, page accessed 25 February, 2006. In 1931, researchers finally concluded that the cause of the Colorado stain was a high concentration of fluoride ions in the region's drinking water (Fluoride levels ranging 2-13.7 ppm) and areas with lower concentrations had no staining (1 ppm or less).Meiers, Peter: "The Bauxite Story - A look at ALCOA", from the Fluoride History website, page accessed 12 May, 2006. Pikes Peak's rock formations contained the
mineral cryolite, one of whose constituents is fluorine. As the rain and snow fell, the resulting runoff water dissolved fluoride which made its way into the water supply.
Dental research then moved toward determining a safe level for fluoride in water supplies. The research had two goals: (1) to warn communities with a high concentration of fluoride of the danger, initiating a reduction of the fluoride levels in order to prevent the Colorado stain, currently known as
dental fluorosis, and (2) to encourage communities with a low concentration of fluoride in drinking water to increase the fluoride levels in order to help prevent tooth decay.
The classic epidemiological study to attempt to determine the optimal level of fluoride in water was led by Dr. H. Trendley Dean, a dental officer of the U.S. Public Health Service, in 1934.Dean, H.T. "Classification of mottled enamel diagnosis."
Journal of the American Dental Association, 21, 1421 - 1426, 1934.Dean, H.T. "Chronic endemic dental fluorosis."
Journal of the American Dental Association, 16, 1269 - 1273, 1936. His research on the fluoride - dental caries relationship, published in 1942, included 7,000 children from 21 cities in
Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. The study concluded that the optimal level of fluoride which minimized the risk of severe fluorosis but had positive benefits for tooth decay was 1 part per million (ppm). In 1939, Dr. Gerald J. CoxMeiers, Peter: "Gerald Judy Cox". conducted laboratory tests on fluoride and suggested adding fluoride to drinking water (or other media such as milk or bottled water) in order to improve oral health.Cox, G.J., M.C. Matuschak, S.F. Dixon, M.L. Dodds, W.E. Walker. "Experimental dental caries IV. Fluorine and its relation to dental caries. Journal of Dental Research, 18, 481-490, 1939. Copy of original paper can be found here. In 1937, dentists Henry Klein and Carroll E. Palmer had considered the possibility of fluoridation to prevent cavities after their evaluation of data gathered by a Public Health Service team at dental examinations of American Indian children.Klein H., Palmer C.E.: "Dental caries in American Indian children", Public Health Bulletin, No. 239, Dec. 1937 In a series of papers published afterwards (1937-1941), yet disregarded by his colleagues within the U.S.P.H.S., Klein summarized his findings on tooth development in children and related problems in epidemiological investigations on caries prevalence.
In the mid 1940s, four widely-cited studies were conducted. The researchers investigated cities that had both fluoridated and unfluoridated water. The first pair was Muskegon, Michigan and
Grand Rapids, Michigan, making Grand Rapids the first community in the world to modify its fluoride levels in drinking water to benefit dental health on January 25, 1945. After 60 Years of Success, Water Fluoridation Still Lacking in Many Communities. Medical News Today website, accessed 26 February, 2006. Kingston, New York was paired with
Newburgh (city), New York.Ast, D.B., D.J. Smith, B. Wacks, K.T. Cantwell. "Newburgh-Kingston caries-fluorine study XIV. Combined clinical and roentgenographic dental findings after ten years of fluoride experience."
Journal of the American Dental Association, 52, 314-25, 1956. Oak Park, Illinois was paired with Evanston, Illinois.
Sarnia, Ontario was paired with Brantford, Ontario,
Canada.Brown, H., M. Poplove. "The Brantford-Sarnia-Stratford Fluoridation Caries Study: Final Survey, 1963." Canadian Journal of Public Health,56, 319–24, 1965. The research found a decrease in the incidence of tooth decay in cities which had added fluoride to water supplies.
Controversy
Water fluoridation by public authorities has provoked controversy. Advocates of water fluoridation say that fluoridation is similar to fortifying
iodised salt, milk with
vitamin D and
orange juice with vitamin C and say it is an effective way to prevent dental caries. Those opposed to public fluoridation of drinking water contend that water fluoridation can have harmful health effects such as dental fluorosis and bone cancer. Some opponents claim that fluoridation takes away individual choice as to the substances a person ingests and that it amounts to mass medication.
Bottled water and fluoridation
Currently, there is some concern among dental professionals that the growing use of bottled water may decrease the amount of fluoride exposure people will receive.Smith, Michael. "Bottled Water Cited as Contributing to Cavity Comeback", from the MedPage Today website, page accessed 29 April, 2006. Some bottlers such as Dannon have begun adding fluoride to their water. Press release from the Water Industry News website] Most bottlers, however, do not add fluoride, and fluoride concentrations are not usually labeled on the bottle. As a result, people who have fluoridated water supplies may receive less than the amounts of fluoride that fluoride proponents recommend if they choose bottled water over tap water. However, if consumers are merely choosing bottled water over other packaged drinks, such as
orange juice or soda (when the latter is produced using water which has not been fluoridated), the effects may be absent, especially because consumers will still turn to tap water for cooking (i.e. preparing pasta or making bread).
Malfunctions in water fluoridation equipment
Water fluoridation equipment has, on occasion, malfunctioned in the United States. Perhaps the worst incident in the United States occurred in Hooper Bay, Alaska in 1992. When fluoridation equipment failed, a large amount of fluoride was released into the drinking water supply and 296 people were poisoned; 1 person died, marking the first reported death due to fluoride toxicity caused by drinking water from a community water system.
International status
United States
As of May 2000, 42 of the 50 largest U.S. cities have water fluoridation. The Benefits of Fluoride, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, accessed 19 March, 2006. According to a 2002 study, Fluoridation Status: Percentage of U.S. Population on Public Water Supply Systems Receiving Fluoridated Water, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, accessed 19 March, 2006. 67% of Americans are living in communities with fluoridated water. As of 2001, 19 states have at least 75% of their population receiving fluoridated water. National Oral Health Surveillance System: Public Water Supply, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is a CDC database for researching the water fluoridation status of neighborhood water.http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/MWF/index.asp
In 1998, 70% of people polled in a survey conducted by the American Dental Association believed community water should be fluoridated, with 18% disagreeing and the rest undecided.American Dental Association Survey Center. 1998 consumers' opinions regarding community water fluoridation. Chicago, Illinois: American Dental Association, 1998
The issue of whether or not to fluoridate water supplies occasionally arises in local governments. For example, on November 8, 2005, citizens of
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan voted 63% to 37% in favor of reinstating fluoridation in public drinking water after a 2004 ballot initiative ceased water fluoridation in the city.Crozier, Stacie. "Michigan town votes to return fluoridation" November 30, 2005. At the same time, voters in Xenia, Ohio; Springfield, Ohio; Bellingham, Washington; and Tooele City, Utah all rejected water fluoridation.http://www.noforcedfluoride.org
The cost of fluoridating water supplies in the United States has been researched.Ringelberg, M. L., S. J. Allen, L. J. Brown. "Cost of fluoridation: 44 Florida communities.", abstract from PubMed website, page accessed 19 March, 2006. In cities with a population of over 50,000 people, fluoridation costs 31 cents per person per year. The cost rises to $2.12 per person in cities with a population below 10,000.
Canada
Approximately 40% of the Canadian population receives fluoridated water "Fluorides and Human Health", from the Health Canada website, page accessed March 25, 2006.
Implementation of fluoridation usually lies with provincial or city governments. Brantford, Ontario became the first city in Canada to fluoridate its water supplies in 1945. In 1955, Toronto approved water fluoridation, but delayed implementation of the program until 1963 due to a campaign against fluoridation by broadcaster Gordon Sinclair. "Gordon Sinclair's rant", from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Archives website, page accessed March 27, 2006. The city continues to fluoridate its water today. "Water supply - R. L. Clark Filtration Plant", from Toronto's website, page accessed March 27, 2006. There have been some recent decreases in the amount of fluoridation used, however, from 1 mg per litre to between 0.6 and 0.8 mg per litre. Historically, British Columbia has been the province with least percentage of its population receiving fluoridated water. "Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Fluoride", from the Environmental Protection Division of British Columbia's Ministry of Environment website, page accessed March 27, 2006. Montreal may be the last major city in Canada which does not fluoridate its water supplies.
Europe
In the
United Kingdom 10% of the population receives fluoridated water - including two major cities:
Birmingham and
Newcastle upon Tyne.Mullen, Joe. "History of Water Fluoridation", British Dental Journal, 2005, page accessed April 29, 2006.
Some provinces of
Spain allow drinking water fluoridation, but the extent of that practice is only 10% population coverage.http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v199/n7s/full/4812863a.html British Dental Journal (2005); 1-4. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.4812863Help History of Water Fluoridation by Dr Joe Mullen
France does not fluoridate its water supply. As "luoride chemicals are not included in the list 'chemicals for drinking water treatment'. This is due to ethical as well as medical considerations.", Directeur de la Protection de l'Environment, August 25, 2000).P Tramini. Schweiz Monatsschr Zahnmed 2005, 115; 12-14. However, fluoridated salt is widely available.http://adr.iadrjournals.org/cgi/reprint/9/2/144.pdf Fluoridated Salt in France
In Switzerland since 1962 two fluoridation programmes had operated in tandem: water fluoridation in the City of Basel, and salt fluoridation in the rest of Switzerland (around 83% of domestic salt sold had fluoride added). However it became increasingly difficult to keep the two programmes separate. As a result some of the population of Basel were assumed to use both fluoridated salt and fluoridated water. In order to correct that situation, in April 2003 the State Parliament agreed to cease water fluoridation and officially expand salt fluoridation to Basel.J. MEYER and P. Wiehl in Schweiz Monatsschr. Zahnmed 2003; 113: 702 (in French) and 728-729 (in German)
Oceania
Australia has fluoridation in all but one state,
Queensland, in which water fluoridation is under local government control. The City of Geelong, west of Melbourne, does not fluoridate its water supplies. This is despite the fact that all of Melbourne's water is fluoridated. Many regional centres in Queensland do fluoridate their water supply, however
Brisbane, the state capital, currently does not add fluoride to its drinking water. The first town to fluoridate the water supply in Australia was
Beaconsfield, Tasmania in 1953 in Australia.
New Zealand has fluoridated nearly all water-supplies except those in remote areas. The use of water fluoridation first began in New Zealand in Hastings in
1954 in New Zealand. A Commission of Inquiry was held in 1957 and then its use rapidly expanded in the mid 1960s. New Zealand Ministry of Health
Other
The government of South Africa supports the fluoridation of water supplies. "Water Fluoridation - The Facts", from South Africa's Department of Health website, page accessed April 29, 2006.
In Brazil, about 45% of the cities have a fluoridated water supply. Government studies reported a decrease in cavities on the affected population between 40% and 80%. Fluoretação da Água em Sistema Público de Abastecimento, page accessed April 29, 2006.
In
Chile 70.5% of the population receive fluoridated water (10.1 million adjusted, 604,000 naturally occurring).Information from the Oral Health Department of the Chilean Ministry of Health. December 2004.
Israel adopted fluoridation beginning in 1981. By 2002, more than 2 million people (roughly one-third of the population) were receiving fluoridated water.
In
China, fluorine levels higher than 1 ppm are banned for fears of
skeletal fluorosis.
See also
References
External links
- York Review Executive Summary, Water Fluoridation
- CDC database for the fluoridation status of neighborhood water
- Letter on fluoridation from EPA (PDF) supporting fluoridation hosted by ADA
- Fluoride Action Network Interview of Nobel Laureate (2000, Medicine/Physiology) Arvid Carlsson
- History of Water Fluoridation
- 1970s discussion on fluoridation
- World Health Organization report on fluorine and fluorides (1984)
- Articles focusing on the potential risks and benefits of water fluoridation
- "Environmental Health Criteria for Fluorides," World Health Organization (2002)
- Fluoride Information - UK National Fluoride Information Centre - Joint venture between The University of Manchester and the UK Department Of Health. Content includes coverage of the York review (see above)
- Article on use of fluoridated drinking water in baby formula
- A Bibliography of Scientific Literature on Fluoride
Water fluoridation is the practice of adding fluoride compounds to water with the intended purpose of reducing tooth decay in the general population. Many North American and Australian municipalities fluoridate their water supplies in the belief that this practice will reduce tooth decay at a low cost. Currently 66% of United States residents on public water supplies have fluoridated water.http://www.awwa.org/Advocacy/pressroom/fluoride.cfm
Water purveyors typically add a fluoride in the form of sodium hexafluorosilicate or hexafluorosilicic acid,Reeves T.G.: "Technical aspects of water fluoridation in the United States and an overview of fluoridation engineering world-wide", Community Dent. Health 13: Suppl. 2 (1996) 21-26. Bellack E.: "Fluoridation Engineering Manual", Report EPA-520/9-74-022, (1974). at a level between 0.7 and 1.2
part per million. These compounds originate as side products from the processing ("defluorination") of phosphate ores to prepare fertilizer, food additive etc.Bellack E., Baker R.J. (USPHS): "Fluoridation Chemicals - the supply picture", J. Am. Water Works Assn. 62 (1970) 223 Maier F.J. (USPHS): "Manual of Water Fluoridation Practice", McGraw Hill Book Co., New York 1963 Fluorides such as
sodium fluoride (
SodiumFluorine),
sodium monofluorophosphate ("SMFP" or "MFP", Na2FPO3),
tin(II) fluoride ("Stannous fluoride",
TinF2), and amine fluorides are common ingredients in
toothpaste.
History
While the use of fluorides for prevention of dental caries was discussed in the 19th century in Europe,Meiers, Peter: "Early Fluoride research in Europe" from the Fluoride History website, page accessed 21 May, 2006. community water fluoridation in the United States owes its origin in part to the research of Dr. Frederick McKay, who pressed the dental community for an investigation into what was then known as "Colorado brown stains." History of Dentistry in the Pikes Peak Region, Colorado Springs Dental Society webpage, page accessed 25 February, 2006. In 1909, of the 2,945 children seen by Dr. McKay, 87.5% had some degree of stain or mottling. All the affected children were from the
Pikes Peak region. Despite having a negative impact on the physical appearance of their teeth, the children with stained or mottled teeth also had fewer cavities than other children. McKay brought the problem to the attention of Greene Vardiman Black, and Black's interest into the Colorado stain led to greater interest throughout the dental profession.
Initial hypotheses for the staining included poor
nutrition, overconsumption of
pork or
milk,
radium exposure, List of childhood diseasess, or a
calcium deficiency in the local drinking water. History of Dentistry in the Pikes Peak Region, Colorado Springs Dental Society webpage, page accessed 25 February, 2006. In 1931, researchers finally concluded that the cause of the Colorado stain was a high concentration of fluoride ions in the region's drinking water (Fluoride levels ranging 2-13.7 ppm) and areas with lower concentrations had no staining (1 ppm or less).Meiers, Peter: "The Bauxite Story - A look at ALCOA", from the Fluoride History website, page accessed 12 May, 2006. Pikes Peak's rock formations contained the mineral
cryolite, one of whose constituents is fluorine. As the rain and snow fell, the resulting runoff water dissolved fluoride which made its way into the water supply.
Dental research then moved toward determining a safe level for fluoride in water supplies. The research had two goals: (1) to warn communities with a high concentration of fluoride of the danger, initiating a reduction of the fluoride levels in order to prevent the Colorado stain, currently known as
dental fluorosis, and (2) to encourage communities with a low concentration of fluoride in drinking water to increase the fluoride levels in order to help prevent tooth decay.
The classic epidemiological study to attempt to determine the optimal level of fluoride in water was led by Dr. H. Trendley Dean, a dental officer of the
U.S. Public Health Service, in 1934.Dean, H.T. "Classification of mottled enamel diagnosis."
Journal of the American Dental Association, 21, 1421 - 1426, 1934.Dean, H.T. "Chronic endemic dental fluorosis."
Journal of the American Dental Association, 16, 1269 - 1273, 1936. His research on the fluoride - dental caries relationship, published in 1942, included 7,000 children from 21 cities in
Colorado, Illinois,
Indiana, and
Ohio. The study concluded that the optimal level of fluoride which minimized the risk of severe fluorosis but had positive benefits for tooth decay was 1 part per million (ppm). In 1939, Dr. Gerald J. CoxMeiers, Peter: "Gerald Judy Cox". conducted laboratory tests on fluoride and suggested adding fluoride to drinking water (or other media such as milk or bottled water) in order to improve oral health.Cox, G.J., M.C. Matuschak, S.F. Dixon, M.L. Dodds, W.E. Walker. "Experimental dental caries IV. Fluorine and its relation to dental caries. Journal of Dental Research, 18, 481-490, 1939. Copy of original paper can be found here. In 1937, dentists Henry Klein and Carroll E. Palmer had considered the possibility of fluoridation to prevent cavities after their evaluation of data gathered by a Public Health Service team at dental examinations of American Indian children.Klein H., Palmer C.E.: "Dental caries in American Indian children", Public Health Bulletin, No. 239, Dec. 1937 In a series of papers published afterwards (1937-1941), yet disregarded by his colleagues within the U.S.P.H.S., Klein summarized his findings on tooth development in children and related problems in epidemiological investigations on caries prevalence.
In the mid 1940s, four widely-cited studies were conducted. The researchers investigated cities that had both fluoridated and unfluoridated water. The first pair was
Muskegon, Michigan and
Grand Rapids, Michigan, making Grand Rapids the first community in the world to modify its fluoride levels in drinking water to benefit dental health on January 25,
1945. After 60 Years of Success, Water Fluoridation Still Lacking in Many Communities. Medical News Today website, accessed 26 February, 2006. Kingston, New York was paired with
Newburgh (city), New York.Ast, D.B., D.J. Smith, B. Wacks, K.T. Cantwell. "Newburgh-Kingston caries-fluorine study XIV. Combined clinical and roentgenographic dental findings after ten years of fluoride experience."
Journal of the American Dental Association, 52, 314-25, 1956.
Oak Park, Illinois was paired with Evanston, Illinois.
Sarnia, Ontario was paired with Brantford, Ontario, Canada.Brown, H., M. Poplove. "The Brantford-Sarnia-Stratford Fluoridation Caries Study: Final Survey, 1963." Canadian Journal of Public Health,56, 319–24, 1965. The research found a decrease in the incidence of tooth decay in cities which had added fluoride to water supplies.
Controversy
Water fluoridation by public authorities has provoked controversy. Advocates of water fluoridation say that fluoridation is similar to fortifying
iodised salt, milk with vitamin D and orange juice with
vitamin C and say it is an effective way to prevent dental caries. Those opposed to public fluoridation of drinking water contend that water fluoridation can have harmful health effects such as
dental fluorosis and bone cancer. Some opponents claim that fluoridation takes away individual choice as to the substances a person ingests and that it amounts to mass medication.
Bottled water and fluoridation
Currently, there is some concern among dental professionals that the growing use of bottled water may decrease the amount of fluoride exposure people will receive.Smith, Michael. "Bottled Water Cited as Contributing to Cavity Comeback", from the MedPage Today website, page accessed 29 April, 2006. Some bottlers such as Dannon have begun adding fluoride to their water. Press release from the Water Industry News website] Most bottlers, however, do not add fluoride, and fluoride concentrations are not usually labeled on the bottle. As a result, people who have fluoridated water supplies may receive less than the amounts of fluoride that fluoride proponents recommend if they choose bottled water over tap water. However, if consumers are merely choosing bottled water over other packaged drinks, such as orange juice or soda (when the latter is produced using water which has not been fluoridated), the effects may be absent, especially because consumers will still turn to tap water for cooking (i.e. preparing pasta or making bread).
Malfunctions in water fluoridation equipment
Water fluoridation equipment has, on occasion, malfunctioned in the United States. Perhaps the worst incident in the United States occurred in Hooper Bay, Alaska in 1992. When fluoridation equipment failed, a large amount of fluoride was released into the drinking water supply and 296 people were poisoned; 1 person died, marking the first reported death due to fluoride toxicity caused by drinking water from a community water system.
International status
United States
As of May 2000, 42 of the 50 largest U.S. cities have water fluoridation. The Benefits of Fluoride, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, accessed 19 March, 2006. According to a 2002 study, Fluoridation Status: Percentage of U.S. Population on Public Water Supply Systems Receiving Fluoridated Water, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, accessed 19 March, 2006. 67% of Americans are living in communities with fluoridated water. As of 2001, 19 states have at least 75% of their population receiving fluoridated water. National Oral Health Surveillance System: Public Water Supply, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is a CDC database for researching the water fluoridation status of neighborhood water.http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/MWF/index.asp
In 1998, 70% of people polled in a survey conducted by the
American Dental Association believed community water should be fluoridated, with 18% disagreeing and the rest undecided.American Dental Association Survey Center. 1998 consumers' opinions regarding community water fluoridation. Chicago, Illinois: American Dental Association, 1998
The issue of whether or not to fluoridate water supplies occasionally arises in local governments. For example, on November 8, 2005, citizens of
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan voted 63% to 37% in favor of reinstating fluoridation in public drinking water after a 2004 ballot initiative ceased water fluoridation in the city.Crozier, Stacie. "Michigan town votes to return fluoridation" November 30, 2005. At the same time, voters in Xenia, Ohio; Springfield, Ohio; Bellingham, Washington; and Tooele City, Utah all rejected water fluoridation.http://www.noforcedfluoride.org
The cost of fluoridating water supplies in the United States has been researched.Ringelberg, M. L., S. J. Allen, L. J. Brown. "Cost of fluoridation: 44 Florida communities.", abstract from PubMed website, page accessed 19 March, 2006. In cities with a population of over 50,000 people, fluoridation costs 31 cents per person per year. The cost rises to $2.12 per person in cities with a population below 10,000.
Canada
Approximately 40% of the Canadian population receives fluoridated water "Fluorides and Human Health", from the Health Canada website, page accessed March 25, 2006.
Implementation of fluoridation usually lies with provincial or city governments. Brantford, Ontario became the first city in Canada to fluoridate its water supplies in 1945. In 1955, Toronto approved water fluoridation, but delayed implementation of the program until 1963 due to a campaign against fluoridation by broadcaster Gordon Sinclair. "Gordon Sinclair's rant", from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Archives website, page accessed March 27, 2006. The city continues to fluoridate its water today. "Water supply - R. L. Clark Filtration Plant", from Toronto's website, page accessed March 27, 2006. There have been some recent decreases in the amount of fluoridation used, however, from 1 mg per litre to between 0.6 and 0.8 mg per litre. Historically, British Columbia has been the province with least percentage of its population receiving fluoridated water. "Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Fluoride", from the Environmental Protection Division of British Columbia's Ministry of Environment website, page accessed March 27, 2006. Montreal may be the last major city in Canada which does not fluoridate its water supplies.
Europe
In the United Kingdom 10% of the population receives fluoridated water - including two major cities: Birmingham and Newcastle upon Tyne.Mullen, Joe. "History of Water Fluoridation", British Dental Journal, 2005, page accessed April 29, 2006.
Some provinces of
Spain allow drinking water fluoridation, but the extent of that practice is only 10% population coverage.http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v199/n7s/full/4812863a.html British Dental Journal (2005); 1-4. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.4812863Help History of Water Fluoridation by Dr Joe Mullen
France does not fluoridate its water supply. As "luoride chemicals are not included in the list 'chemicals for drinking water treatment'. This is due to ethical as well as medical considerations.", Directeur de la Protection de l'Environment, August 25, 2000).P Tramini. Schweiz Monatsschr Zahnmed 2005, 115; 12-14. However, fluoridated salt is widely available.http://adr.iadrjournals.org/cgi/reprint/9/2/144.pdf Fluoridated Salt in France
In Switzerland since 1962 two fluoridation programmes had operated in tandem: water fluoridation in the City of Basel, and salt fluoridation in the rest of Switzerland (around 83% of domestic salt sold had fluoride added). However it became increasingly difficult to keep the two programmes separate. As a result some of the population of Basel were assumed to use both fluoridated salt and fluoridated water. In order to correct that situation, in April 2003 the State Parliament agreed to cease water fluoridation and officially expand salt fluoridation to Basel.J. MEYER and P. Wiehl in Schweiz Monatsschr. Zahnmed 2003; 113: 702 (in French) and 728-729 (in German)
Oceania
Australia has fluoridation in all but one state,
Queensland, in which water fluoridation is under local government control. The City of Geelong, west of Melbourne, does not fluoridate its water supplies. This is despite the fact that all of Melbourne's water is fluoridated. Many regional centres in Queensland do fluoridate their water supply, however Brisbane, the state capital, currently does not add fluoride to its drinking water. The first town to fluoridate the water supply in Australia was Beaconsfield, Tasmania in
1953 in Australia.
New Zealand has fluoridated nearly all water-supplies except those in remote areas. The use of water fluoridation first began in New Zealand in Hastings in
1954 in New Zealand. A Commission of Inquiry was held in 1957 and then its use rapidly expanded in the mid 1960s. New Zealand Ministry of Health
Other
The government of South Africa supports the fluoridation of water supplies. "Water Fluoridation - The Facts", from South Africa's Department of Health website, page accessed April 29, 2006.
In
Brazil, about 45% of the cities have a fluoridated water supply. Government studies reported a decrease in cavities on the affected population between 40% and 80%. Fluoretação da Água em Sistema Público de Abastecimento, page accessed April 29, 2006.
In Chile 70.5% of the population receive fluoridated water (10.1 million adjusted, 604,000 naturally occurring).Information from the Oral Health Department of the Chilean Ministry of Health. December 2004.
Israel adopted fluoridation beginning in 1981. By 2002, more than 2 million people (roughly one-third of the population) were receiving fluoridated water.
In
China, fluorine levels higher than 1 ppm are banned for fears of skeletal fluorosis.
See also
References
External links
- York Review Executive Summary, Water Fluoridation
- CDC database for the fluoridation status of neighborhood water
- Letter on fluoridation from EPA (PDF) supporting fluoridation hosted by ADA
- Fluoride Action Network Interview of Nobel Laureate (2000, Medicine/Physiology) Arvid Carlsson
- History of Water Fluoridation
- 1970s discussion on fluoridation
- World Health Organization report on fluorine and fluorides (1984)
- Articles focusing on the potential risks and benefits of water fluoridation
- "Environmental Health Criteria for Fluorides," World Health Organization (2002)
- Fluoride Information - UK National Fluoride Information Centre - Joint venture between The University of Manchester and the UK Department Of Health. Content includes coverage of the York review (see above)
- Article on use of fluoridated drinking water in baby formula
- A Bibliography of Scientific Literature on Fluoride