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As of May 2000, 42 of the 50 largest U.S. cities had water fluoridation. [29] According to a 2002 study, [30] 67% of U.S. residents were living in communities with fluoridated water at that time. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has identified community water fluoridation as one of ten great public health achievements of the 20th century. [31]
Water fluoridation is used in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Israel, Hong Kong and a handful of other countries. Most countries failed to adopt fluoridation, yet experienced the same or greater decline in cavities as those countries that did fluoridate during the later half of the twentieth century. [77]
Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride to a public water supply to reduce tooth decay, and is handled differently by countries across the world. [2]Water fluoridation is considered very common in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Chile and Australia where over 50% of the population drinks fluoridated water.
Kentucky is the only state to require fluoridation in every community water system that serves 1,500 or more people, and as a result, 99.99 percent of residents receive fluoridated water.
Studies have validated fluoride’s benefits at low levels, but newer research shows risks.
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).
Fluorosilicic acid (H 2 SiF 6) is the most commonly used additive for water fluoridation in the United States. [44] It is an inexpensive liquid by-product of phosphate fertilizer manufacture. [40] It comes in varying strengths, typically 23–25%; because it contains so much water, shipping can be expensive. [41]
The CDC calls the practice of adding fluoride to tap water systems one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the last century.