National Children’s Dental Health Month 2020: Celebrating 75 years of Fluoridation

National Children’s Dental Health Month 2020: Celebrating 75 years of Fluoridation

By admin February 14th
This year marks the 75th anniversary of community water fluoridation, and so Elko Dental Specialists is happy to celebrate this special occasion during National Children’s Dental Health Month 2020! In 1945 Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first city in the world to fluoridate its drinking water and the benefits have been nothing short of amazing.

Over 70 years of scientific research has concluded that maintaining an optimal level of fluoride in community drinking water is not only safe for consumption, it is also highly effective in preventing tooth decay. Fluoridating water has been so effective that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) even named community water fluoridation as one of the 10 Great Public Health Achievements of the 20th Century!

To help celebrate this year’s special anniversary, we have put together a short list of the most frequently asked questions to get you up to speed on fluoride and its benefits for dental health:
- What is fluoride?
  
  Fluoride is a mineral that is found naturally in soil and water. Almost all water contains some fluoride, but it is usually at very low concentrations. This natural concentration is too low to provide any benefit to dental health.
- What is water fluoridation?
  
  Water fluoridation is simply the addition of fluoride to drinking water to increase its concentration to the recommended level that provides better dental health. Almost 75% of the US population has fluoridated community water as of 2012.
- What are the benefits of fluoridated water?
  
  Fluoride in drinking water helps to protect teeth from the bacteria in your mouth that combine with sugars and other refined carbohydrates to produce acids. These acids harm tooth enamel that strips minerals from the surface of the tooth. Fluoride helps to remineralize the surface of the tooth and reverse early signs of decay. This leads to fewer cavities, less need for fillings and tooth extractions, and less pain and discomfort associated with tooth decay. According to decades of research, fluoridated water has helped prevent cavities and tooth decay in at least 25% of children and adults.
- Is water fluoridation safe?
  
  For over 70 years, peer-reviewed studies conducted by hundreds of nationally- and internationally-recognized scientists have concluded that water fluoridation at recommended levels is safe for public consumption. While it is true that fluoride can be toxic, this is only true for cases of exposure to very high concentrations or doses.
  
  To get a better picture of this, the “probably toxic dose” (PTD) of fluoride is 5mg of fluoride per kg of body weight. With the optimal level of fluoride used nowadays of 0.7 mg of fluoride per liter of water, an adult male weighing 180 pounds (81.6kg) would need to drink over 580 liters of water (over 153 gallons) all at one time to reach this toxic level of fluoride.
For even more facts about fluoridated water, here is a link to a comprehensive PDF from the American Dental Association

To help celebrate the month of children’s dental health, here are some fun activities for kids!

Teach about dental health with these fun worksheets for kids. Great for classes, teachers and parents looking for a fun activity to teach about oral health care.

Crossword Puzzle:

Coloring Sheet:

Brushing Calendar:

Maze:

If you have been looking to improve the overall dental health of your child or even yourself, National Children’s Dental Health Month is a great time to start, and Elko Dental Specialists is a great place to visit. Our combined expertise in several fields of dentistry and orthodontics allows us to deliver incredible results for all of our patients. We treat patients from all over the Elko, Ely, Eureka and greater Northern Nevada area and would love to welcome you into our patient family.

Schedule a complimentary consultation today or give us a call at (775) 753-6118.
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