Benefits of Fluoride

(1)

Prevent cavities:

Since cavities is one of the common disease in human, that can cause pain, infection, and ultimately tooth loss. But with fluoride, it stops the bacteria that cause harm to the tooth outer most surfaces and helps strengthen up that outer most surface of the tooth to prevent cavities. By regularly, everyday, coming in contact with low level of fluoride for a long period of time, throughout the life time, people are able to reduce or even prevent cavities from forming by 25% (2).

Cost-saving:

Fluoridated water is the least expensive method for the whole community to get the optimal amount of fluoride to helps prevent cavities. It cost about 50 cents for a person to have fluoridated water, in a community that has maybe more than 20,000 people in it (2). With a small investment in fluoridated water, people can mostly likely eliminate the cost of going to the dentist to get a filling for the cavities or worse a root canal if the cavities left untreated. That in turn can cost much more than paying 50 cents for a simply preventive measure, fluoridate water in the community.

Benefits all people:

The best thing about fluoridated water is that anyone can use it. It doesn’t matter when it comes one education level, socioeconomic status, age, religious, or physical status, everyone can drink the tap water or eat the foods that are prepare with the water that has fluoride in it (2). Along with foods and tap water, beverages that are prepared with the tap water also have fluoride present in the drink.

Below is a video (3) on how cavities is form and a few facts about how children have cavities in the US:

Cavities in the US affects:

• 1 in 4 children aged 2-5

• 1 in 2 children aged 12-15

• About ½ of all children and 2/3 of adolescents aged 12-19 from lower-incomes families

• Racial and Ethnic Groups:

  • Mexican American – 40% of children aged 6-8 when comparing to non-Hispanic white – 25

  • Adolescents aged 12-19 20% with untreated dental cavities (4)

References

(1) American Dental Association Dental Minute. The truth about fluoride [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.ada.org/50.aspx?channelId=f9f205ad36bb42509b624d2e2c0e4cbb&channelListId=5fcc7f2eafba49a1bd612fb6b96b0dc0&mediaId=79c92a1c6d5348ebba1b57a0d4dd0ad5

(2) Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, January 14). Fluoridation basics. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/benefits/background.htm

(3) American Dental Association Dental Minute. What are cavities? [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.ada.org/50.aspx?channelId=f9f205ad36bb42509b624d2e2c0e4cbb&channelListId=5fcc7f2eafba49a1bd612fb6b96b0dc0&mediaId=79c92a1c6d5348ebba1b57a0d4dd0ad5

(4) Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, July 29). Oral health preventing cavities, gum disease, tooth loss, and oral cancers. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/doh.htm