Study Finds Fluoride in Drinking Water May Help Lower the Possibilities of Severe Cavities in Baby Teeth
New Zealand researchers recently reported that fluoride found in drinking water lowers the possibilities for ‘severe cavities in baby teeth.’
New Zealand researchers recently reported that fluoride found in drinking water lowers the possibilities for "severe cavities in baby teeth."
According to the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry's health sciences clinical professor, Dr. Howard Pollick, even though fluoridated toothpaste is extensively available, "fluoridated water" continues presenting advantages when it comes to the reduction of cavities.
The professor added, "Community water fluoridation" is the most efficient mechanism for the reduction of disparities in oral health.
More so, it is particularly essential at a time during the public health crisis when access to preemptive dental services is lessened.
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Water with Fluoride
For this report, scientists led by Philip Schluter from the University of Canterbury School of Health Sciences in Christchurch gathered data on more than 275,000 New Zealand children "with a median age" of four-50 percent older than four and 50 percent younger.
Some children in the study lived in places where fluoride was added to the water, and the others, in areas that did not have fluoridated water.
Study authors found that children who were drinking water with fluoride added to it were less likely to "develop severe cavities" compared to the other kids.
The said children were part of the B4 School Check of New Zealand. It was a screening program conducted from July 2010 until June 2016.
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Untimely Loss of Baby Teeth
According to the national fluoridation advisory committee chair of the American Dental Association, Dr. Leon Stanislav, baby teeth's premature loss can lead to "serious mal-alignment of the permanent teeth."
This, Stanislav added, is on top of tooth decay's ache and suffering, abscessed baby teeth, and the amount of money to spend for "dental care treating such avoidable occurrences."
Furthermore, the avoidable ordeal of treating pediatric decay Stanislav also said, "Comes into play." Members of the ADA advisory committee specified those baby teeth are crucial for proper nutrition processes like biting or chewing, as well as adequate speech development.
Advantages of Fluoridated Water in Communities
As earlier mentioned, according to ADA, adding fluoride in water helps "prevent tooth decay."
More than 50 million school hours and roughly 164 million work hours are lost every day because of dental-related disease.
Additionally, fluoridated water is "safe and effective." For seven decades now, according to the ADA, the best existing scientific evidence constantly specifies that "community water fluoridation," aside from being safe, is also effective.
The US Surgeons General has been endorsing, adding fluoride to water in communities. More so, over a hundred health groups which include the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Medical Association, among others, have acknowledged the health benefits of water fluoridation to prevent dental decay.
Fluoridated water is cost-efficient, too! The average lifetime cost for each individual to fluoridate his water supply is below the amount of "one dental filling."
For the majority of the cities, for every dollar that's invested in the fluoridation of water, an amount of $38 is saved in the cost of dental treatment.
Lastly, water with fluoride is natural. Fluoride naturally exists in the oceans and groundwater. In its website, ADA indicates that "water "fluoridation" is the fluoride's adjustment to a proposed level in order to prevent tooth decay.
It is akin to fortifying other food and beverage products like fortifying "milk with vitamin D, salt with iodine," and bread with folic acid, among others.
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Aug 21, 2020 08:00 AM EDT
