Benefits Of Fluoride To Drinking Water

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Today, six million Canadians do not go to the dentist because of the high costs which is why the addition of fluoride to drinking water is necessary in today’s society (Janus, 2014, para. 7). Fluoride is a mineral which occurs naturally in a community water system from sources such as rocks, soil, fresh and ocean water. Research has proven that there are lower rate of cavities seen in areas with a moderate rate of water fluoridation (“Fluoridation of Water,” 2009, para. 1). Although, some critics have claimed that the addition of fluoride to water is able to cause certain diseases, a February 1991 Public Health Service Report stated that the “optimal fluoridation of drinking water does not pose a detectable cancer risk to humans” (“Fluoridated …show more content…
An economic study found that for communities over 20,000 people where it costs about 50 cents per person to have the water fluoridated, every 1 dollar put into this protective treatment shows 38 dollars in savings in dental costs (“Cost Savings” 2013, para. 1). In Colorado, the fluoridation of community water systems was shown to have an annual savings of $148.9 million in 2003, or about $61 per person (Kumar, Olbunmi, & Melnik, 2010, p. 647). A study from the National Preventive Dentistry Demonstration Program found that water fluoridation was the most effective way of preventing tooth decay in children, rather than using other preventative measures such as fluoride tablets which are more expensive and have shown to be less effective (“Fluoridation in New York State,” 2008, p.1). Also, families of lower income may not be able to afford products such as fluoride tablets or tooth paste, which is why if all communities fluoridate their water supply, it is the most effective way to help the people of lower income to protect their teeth and to save them money on dental fillings. Therefore, this is why it is essential for communities to fluoridate their water supplies because the research shows that not only is it economically friendly, but it will help out those who simply cannot proper dental care or dental

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