Addition of fluoride to drinking water supplies is recommended by Centers for Disease Control, HHS, and the American Dental Association to help prevent tooth decay, particularly in children. It was recognized by the CDC as one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.
The American Dental Association has recommended concentration of fluoride from a range of 0.7–1.2 mg/L. The Tabernash Meadows Water and Sanitation District maintains fluoride levels within this range.
· Fluoride is a naturally occurring compound. It enters the water when fluoride-rich minerals in soils and rock dissolve.
· The American Academy of Family Physicians has issued the following policy statement: “Fluoridation of public water supplies is a safe, economical, and effective measure to prevent dental caries” (tooth decay).
· Since 1950, the American Dental Association (ADA), along with the United States Public Health Service (USPHS), has continuously and unreservedly endorsed the optimal fluoridation of community water supplies as a safe and effective public health measure for the prevention of dental decay.
· The ADA’s policy on fluoridation is based on its continuing evaluation of the scientific research on the safety and effectiveness of fluoride. It continues to reaffirm its position of support for water fluoridation and has strongly urged that its benefits be extended to communities served by public water systems.
· Today, fluoridation is the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay and to improve oral health over a lifetime.