Why would communities want to fluoridate tap water?
Communities fluoridate their water supply as a cost-effective public health measure to help prevent cavities. A person can have a lifetime of fluoridated water for less than the cost of one dental filling. Cavities are caused by a disease called “caries,” which is five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever in 5-to-17-year-olds. The pain from untreated cavities can cause people to lose sleep, have trouble eating, speaking and paying attention at school or work. A report from the U.S. Surgeon General in 2000 estimated that 51 million school hours are lost per year because of dental-related illness. Without water fluoridation, that number would likely be much higher. The American Dental Association supports community water fluoridation as the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay. Studies show that water fluoridation reduces tooth decay by as much as 20 to 40% even with the widespread use of fluoride-containing products such
