This document discusses the benefits of community water fluoridation for oral health. It notes that oral health problems disproportionately affect low-income families who lack access to dental care. Adding fluoride to community water supplies at optimal levels reduces rates of tooth decay by 40% and is the most cost-effective method of preventing cavities, saving $38 for every $1 spent on fluoridation. Several public health organizations endorse the safety and effectiveness of water fluoridation in improving oral health and reducing health disparities.

1. Fluoridation via
Community Water Supply
Persuasive Speech
By
Denise Resen

2. Oral Health Problems
• Oral health often taken for granted
• Essential part of our everyday lives
• Good oral health enhances
– Ability to speak
– Smile
– Smell
– Taste
– Touch
– Chew
– Swallow

3. Volunteer Work
• I have worked in the dental field since the early 70’s
• I have volunteered on a yearly basis in dental clinics for
the lower-income families
• Six-year molars and twelve year molars have
generalized deep dental decay needing root canals
• Children are in pain and suffer until they can get
treatment

4. Fluoride Applications
• I have placed fluoride in the oral cavity on a
daily basis; for all ages
• In 38 years of utilizing fluoride, have never
seen any adverse reactions; but a reduced
incidence of dental decay

5. Problems-Cause-Solution
• Dental decay affects more children today than
any other infectious disease
• Low-income families have no dental insurance
and lack the funds to seek dental treatment
• Community water supply needs fluoride
added to bring levels to an optimum level to
fight dental decay

6. Tooth Decay
• Common problem
• Causing pain and disability for millions of American
children each year
• Tooth decay affects children more than any other
chronic infectious disease
• Untreated cavities cause pain, dysfunction, school
absences.
• Difficulty speaking, playing, learning, concentrating,
eating
• These problems greatly affect the child’s quality of life

7. According to the
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Lower-Income Families
• Do not receive timely preventative treatment to
prevent tooth decay
• Tooth decay affects more than one-fourth of US
children aged 2-5; Half of those aged 12-18
• Two-thirds of these children are from low-income
families
• More than 51 million school hours are lost each
year because of dental decay/related illness

8. According to the CDC
Lower-Income Families
• Children and adolescents of some racial and
ethnic groups and those from lower-income
families have more untreated decay.
• 40% of Mexican-American children aged 6-8
have untreated decay compared with 25% of
non-Hispanic whites.
• 20% of all adolescents aged 12-18 years
currently have untreated tooth decay

9. According to WHO
Most Oral Diseases Are Preventable
• Fluoridation is a simple measure that has been
proven to be effective in preventing oral
diseases
• Fluoridation reduces dental care costs
• Fluoridated community water is the most cost
effective way to combat dental decay

10. Community Water Fluoridation
• Reduces rate of tooth decay by 40%
• Cost effective, CDC study reveals:
– For every dollar invested in community water
fluoridation approximately $38 is saved in avoided
costs for dental treatment
– Average cost for one filling is $75; the
approximate cost of providing fluoridation to an
individual for a life time
– Cost to fluoridate water is less than a dollar per
person; per year

11. Community Water Fluoridation
• Health benefits:
– Fewer cavities and less severe cavities
– Less need for fillings and tooth extractions
– Less pain and suffering associated with tooth
decay
– Better self-esteem from teeth that work well and
look good
– Great impact on the lower-income families that
cannot afford to seek dental care

12. Safety of Fluoridation
• Extensive research over the past 60 years shows that
fluoridation of public water supplies is safe and
effective for all community residents
• Overall value and safety of community water
fluoridation has been endorsed by
– CDC
– US Surgeon General
– American Dental Association (ADA)
– American Medical Association (AMA)
– American Association of Public Health
– US public Health Service
– World Health Organization (WHO)

13. CDC and ADA Statement
• CDC has recognized the fluoridation of drinking water
to prevent dental decay as one of 10 great public
health achievements of the 20th century. Over the past
60 years, optimal fluoridation of community drinking
water has been a major factor for the decline in rates
of tooth decay.
• Since 1950, the ADA has unreservedly endorsed the
fluoridation of community water supplies as safe,
effective, and necessary in preventing tooth decay

14. U.S. Surgeon General Statement
• “Community water fluoridation continues to be the
most cost-effective, equitable and safe means to
provide protection from tooth decay in a community. A
person’s income level or ability to receive routine
dental care is not a barrier to receiving fluoridation’s
health benefits. Water fluoridation is a powerful
strategy in our efforts to eliminate differences in health
among people and is consistent with my emphasis on
the importance of prevention.” Vice Admiral Richard
Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., 2002-2006

15. Community Water Fluoridation
• Lower-Income families have ease of access
• Individuals that choose not to drink
fluoridated water can buy bottled water
• Public Organizations have deemed fluoridated
water safe and affective for all individuals
• Cost effective
• Will reduce State Paid dental expenses (our
tax dollars)

16. References
• http://www.rdhmag.com
• www.cdc.gov/fluoridation
• http://www.ada.org
• www.agd.org
• www.dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com
• Pollick, H., 2006. Fighting tooth decay with
fluoride. Dimensions of Dental Hygiene,
February 2006; 4(2):22-23