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Fluoridation became an official policy of the U.S. Public Health Service by 1951, and by 1960 water fluoridation had become widely used in the U.S., reaching about 50 million people. [2] By 2006, 69.2% of the U.S. population on public water systems were receiving fluoridated water, amounting to 61.5% of the total U.S. population. [3]
Water fluoridation reduces cavities in children, while efficacy in adults is less clear. [9] [needs update] [10] [11] A Cochrane review estimates that when water fluoridation is used by children who have no other access to sources of fluoride, there is a reduction in cavities by 35% in baby teeth and 26% in permanent teeth. [9]
Hawaii is the only US state without any fluoride in municipal taps; fluoridated water is only available there on military bases. ... Malin brushes her teeth without fluoride, drinks filtered water ...
Fluoride pollution from various industrial emissions can also contaminate water supplies. In a few areas of the United States, fluoride concentrations in water are much higher than normal, mostly from natural sources. In 1986, EPA established a maximum allowable concentration for fluoride in drinking water of 4 milligrams per liter (mg/L).
Water fluoridation is not mandatory, and while there is a recommended fluoride concentration in drinking water (0.7 milligrams per liter) from the CDC, that level is not an enforceable standard.
In 2015, the U.S. Public Health Service, under the Department of Health and Human Services, set the optimal level of fluoride in water at 0.7 milligrams per liter — a level that, after decades ...
In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and the addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. Fluoride can come from a number of sources, but drinking water is the main source for Americans, researchers say.
All fluoridation methods, including water fluoridation, create low levels of fluoride ions in saliva and plaque fluid, thus exerting a topical or surface effect. A person living in an area with fluoridated water may experience rises of fluoride concentration in saliva to about 0.04 mg/L several times during a day. [3]