How Fluoride Helps & Effective:

• Fluoride is one of the best ways to prevent tooth decay. It makes teeth stronger so they can resist the acid and bacteria that cause tooth decay.

• Fluoride should be provided in either the drinking water or as a supplement in the form of drops or tablets, with or without vitamins. Ask your child’s dentist or doctor about providing your child with fluoride if you don't have fluoride in your water.

• When your child is about 2 years of age, fluoride treatments should begin. Your dentist or dental hygienist applies a fluoride solution on the surface of the child's teeth to give the teeth added protection.

Fluoride is Effective: A Summary of the Research

Decades of research confirm the benefits of water fluo

ridation. Some people may question the value of fluoridating water at a time when fluoride toothpaste is widely used and children can get fluoride treatments from dentists. The following peer-reviewed studies and reports answer this question because many of them were conducted within the past 20 years — when both fluoride toothpaste and fluoride treatments were widely available. This research demonstrates the crucial, added protection against tooth decay that fluoridated water provides. The following research is only a small sample of studies confirming the value of fluoridating public water systems.

1. Fluoridation reduces tooth decay among children.

2. Fluoridation also protects adults’ teeth.

3. Fluoridation helps to close the gap in decay rates among various groups

4. Fluoridation saves money by reducing the need for fillings and other dental treatments.

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