Family Dentistry: Fluoride In Water

Thursday 25 October 2012

Fluoride In Water

As with some other countries water fluoridation in the United States is a contentious issue. As of May 2000, 42 of the 50 largest U.S. cities had water fluoridation. On January 25, 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first community in the United States to fluoridate its drinking water to prevent tooth decay.[2]

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.[3] 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; 3.0% of the population on public water systems were receiving naturally occurring fluoride.[4] By 2012 72% of the total U.S. population get their water from public systems that add fluoride.