The Utah legislature passed and sent a bill that bans local governments from adding fluoride to public drinking water to Governor Cox’s desk. The governor intends to sign the bill. The Utah Dental Association opposes the ban and is calling on the governor to veto it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking fluoridated water reduces cavities in both adults and children by 25 percent. The US Department of Health and Human Services advises an “optimal concentration” of 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water (0.7 ppm). Levels exceeding 4.0 ppm may lead to dental and skeletal fluorosis, resulting in mottled tooth enamel and brittle bones.
While 0.7 ppm of fluoride in the water supply is safe, dentists do not recommend fluoride supplements for children under six months of age. Recent studies have associated high levels of fluoride ingestion with reduced IQ in children.
In 1901, a Colorado dentist named Frederick McKay discovered that fluoride was associated with reduced tooth decay. In 1945, Grand Rapids, MI, became the first municipality to add it to its public drinking water. By the 1960s, fluoridated water had become widespread throughout the country.
Nowadays, people can obtain fluoride to prevent tooth decay in many other forms. Consumers can purchase bottled water containing fluoride, over-the-counter mouthwashes containing fluoride, and fluoride varnish from dentists and, in some states, pharmacists. Dentists can also prescribe fluoride supplements. And, of course, many toothpaste products contain fluoride.
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