FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2024
FCAAP SUPPORTS COMMUNITY WATER FLUORIDATION
Good adult oral health begins with good oral health in childhood.
Tallahassee, Florida – The mission of the Florida Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, Inc. (FCAAP) and the more than 2,800 pediatricians it represents is to optimize the health, growth, and development of all children. Having reviewed the available information on the benefits and risks of fluoridating the public water supply, FCAAP stands with the Florida Dental Association in its continued support for fluoridation of the water supply in our communities.
Insufficient fluoride exposure can have significant negative effects on oral health. Dental caries (tooth cavity) is the most common chronic disease in childhood and disproportionally affects children of lower socioeconomic status who are less likely to have access to dental care. Every year, dental caries results in 51 million lost school hours for children as well as millions of lost work hours for the caretakers who must attend to these children. Children and adults in communities with fluoridated water experience 25% fewer cavities. Communities that have stopped fluoridating water have noted an increase in cavities among children. The cost savings of water fluoridation are estimated to be about $32 per person per year and far exceeds the expense of fluoridating the water supply.
In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first U.S. community to fluoridate the public water. Subsequently, this community noted a significant reduction in dental caries among its schoolchildren. Today, the public water supply of 72% of the U.S. population is fluoridated. The benefits of reducing caries in the general population have been described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th Century
Over 3,000 studies from the U.S. and abroad are available addressing the safety and efficacy of fluoridating the water supply. Other than an increased incidence of fluorosis (staining of the teeth from too much fluoride), there have been no substantiated studies linking fluoride in the CDC prescribed amount of 0.7mg/L to any increase in kidney disease, bone cancer, ADHD, or other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Although some studies have shown that water fluoride concentrations greater than 1.5 mg/liter have been associated with a reduction of several points in IQ, there is no evidence that fluoridated water with levels below the CDC limit of 1.2 mg/liter reduces IQ or adversely affects child neurodevelopment. Fluoride levels in US water supplies are safe; 99.8% are below 1.2 mg/liter.
From a broader public health perspective, a pattern of poor oral health in childhood increases the likelihood of certain adult diseases, including myocardial infarction and stroke, as well as the difficulty of achieving good glucose control in diabetes. Poor dental health is a significant contributor to pulmonary infections, including pneumonia, with an increased risk observed in individuals with a higher number of dental caries and missing teeth across the general population, regardless of age and comorbidities. Overall, poor dental health allows for the overgrowth of oral bacteria, increasing the risk of bacteremia from routine activities such as brushing and flossing. This transient bacteremia has been linked to a higher frequency of infective endocarditis, particularly in high-risk patients.
For all these reasons, FCAAP stands with the Florida Dental Association in its continued support for fluoridation of the water supply in our communities.
A PDF of this release with cited references is available on request.
About the Florida Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics:
Through its more than 2,800 members, the Florida Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics promotes the health and welfare of Florida’s children and supports pediatricians and pediatric specialists as the best qualified providers of their health care.
MEDIA CONTACT
Alicia E. Adams, Esq., Executive Director, aadams@fcaap.org
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