Fluoride
- What is fluoride?
- How does fluoride in drinking water reduce tooth decay?
- How is fluoride put into a water system?
- Is adding fluoride to community water safe?
- What are the additional benefits of fluoridation?
- What are the Department of Health guidelines for fluoride?
- Additional information
What is Fluoride?
- Fluoride is a mineral found in varying amounts in all soils, plants, and water supplies.
- Fluoride is a nutrient that prevents tooth decay. Like other minerals in the diet, fluoride helps the body to resist disease, in this case, tooth decay.
- Fluoride is a natural part of tooth enamel and bone.
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There are two types of fluoride, systemic and topical.
- Systemic fluorides are swallowed and benefit the teeth before and after they erupt in the mouth.
- Topical fluorides are applied directly to teeth. Topical fluorides benefit teeth that have already erupted into the mouth.
How does fluoride in drinking water reduce tooth decay?
- In the earliest stages of tooth decay, fluoride helps repair small areas of decay before they become large cavities.
- The presence of fluoride on the tooth surface makes plaque (germs) less able to cause decay.
- During tooth development, fluoride unites with the tooth surfaces, making them more resistant to decay.
How is fluoride put into a water system?
- A measured amount of fluoride solution is added to a water system in direct proportion to the water demands of a community. Fluoridation systems deliver fluoride in an accurate, controlled manner.
- A community that adds fluoride to its water system is simply adjusting the amount of natural fluoride found in the water to a level that is best for the dental health of its residents.
- There is no chemical difference between fluoride added to a water system and the natural fluoride found in the water.
Is adding fluoride to community water safe?
- Adding fluoride to drinking water at the optimal level is not harmful to your health. It does not cause cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, AIDS, liver and kidney ailments or allergic reactions.
- Adjusting the natural fluoride content of drinking water to a level that improves dental health does not change the quality of the drinking water.
- Fluoride is added only to a water system that is naturally deficient in this mineral.
What are the additional benefits of fluoridation?
- Reduction in pain, missing teeth, need for dentures and bridges, and less time lost from school and work.
- Reduce individual dental bills. Fluoridation reduces tooth decay by 20 to 40 percent.
- In Vermont, the cost of providing fluoridated water is a little over one dollar per person per year. For every dollar spent on fluoridation, $38 is saved in dental bills. About $85 for an 85 year lifetime. Less than the cost of one average filling.
What are the Department of Health guidelines for fluoride?
The National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research and the Vermont Department of Health, Dental Health Services recommend the following guidelines for fluoride:
- Children should receive one, but only one, source of systemic fluoride togainst tooth decay.
- Children between 12 months and 16 years of age should receive fluoride supplements if they do not receive adequate fluoride in their drinking water.
For more information, please contact Dental Health Services at 802-863-7341.
Fact Sheets
- Fluoride Fact, or Fiction (pdf)
- Manufacturing of Fluoride (pdf)
Additional Information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Community Water Fluoridation
- CDC Statement on the 2006 National Research Council (NRC) Report on Fluoride in Drinking Water
American Dental Society
American Public Health Association