Community Water Fluoridation

National efforts of community water fluoridation prevent oral diseases, deliver health care savings and reduce oral health disparities. ADEA strongly supports optimal fluoridation of community water. Community water fluoridation is safe, practical and the most cost-effective measure for the prevention of dental caries.

The oral health education community is committed to ensuring graduates are competent in:

• Raising awareness of water fluoridation as an imperative public health issue;
• Discussing fluorides and water fluoridation with school-based clinic patients; and
• Evidence-based preventive dentistry, including the promotion of water fluoridation.

In the summer of 2015, the U.S. Surgeon General stated that community water fluoridation is one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 21st century.¹ 

“As Surgeon General, I encourage all Americans to make choices that enable them to prevent illness and promote well-being. Community water fluoridation is one of the most practical, cost-effective, equitable, and safe measures communities can take to prevent tooth decay and improve oral health.”² 

Providing optimally fluoridated water to U.S. communities for one year saves $6.5 billion in dental treatment costs and offers an average return on investment of $20 for every $1 spent.

On average, communities with water fluoridation experience 25% fewer cavities, saving $32 per person annually by avoiding dental treatment costs and leading to fewer missed work and school days.³ 

Oral diseases cause pain and disability for millions of people in the United States, and some are linked to other diseases—like diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Regular visits to the dentist can help prevent oral diseases and related problems, but most people have not been to the dentist in the last year. Strategies to make it easier for people to get dental care are critical for better oral health and overall health outcomes.

Every decade since 1980, the Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People initiative identifies science-based, national objectives with the goal of improving the health of all Americans over the course of the following 10 years. The goal of the Healthy People 2030 oral health objectives is to improve oral health by increasing access to oral health care, including preventive services.

¹Surgeon General Perspectives, Public Health Rep. 2015 Jul-Aug;130(4):296–298.
²Ibid.
³www.cdc.gov/oral-health/php/infographics/roi-fluoridated-water.html, Public Health Rep. 2015 Jul-Aug;130(4):296–298.