Community water fluoridation is the adjustment of fluoride levels occurring naturally in water to optimal levels to protect teeth. For more than 60 years, fluoridation of community water has resulted in significant reduction of tooth decay for people of all ages.

The Florida Dental Association, working together with the Department of Health and local health departments advocates for optimal fluoridation statewide. More than 77 percent of all of the state’s public drinking waters are fluoridated to appropriate and safe levels approved by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In areas that are not fluoridated, the Florida Dental Association and its partners offer assistance to local groups who may seek to have their water system add and maintain this important preventive dental service on a long term basis.

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), the right amount of fluoride is needed to help protect teeth and prevent caries (cavities). Fluoride intake above optimal amounts, however, creates a risk of developing enamel fluorosis in teeth during early development, before they erupt through the gums.

Most cases of enamel fluorosis result in faint white lines or streaks on tooth enamel that are not readily apparent to the affected person or the casual observer.¹

Persons residing in fluoridated communities who are nursing infants with powdered formula should consult with their dentist, pediatrician or family physician regarding the most appropriate water to use in their area to reconstitute infant formula.

Some infant formulas may already contain beneficial fluoride levels from water used during the manufacture of the product. If liquid concentrate or powdered infant formula is the primary source of nutrition, it can be mixed with water that is fluoride-free or contains low levels of fluoride to reduce the risk of fluorosis.

These include water labeled as purified, demineralized, deionized or distilled, as well as reverse-osmosis filtered water. Many stores sell these types of drinking water for less than $1 per gallon.

For more information about fluoridation, visit the American Dental Association’s “Fluoride and Fluoridation” Web page. Information is also available on the CDC website at “Community Water Fluoridation”.

¹ Infants, Forrmula and Fluoride,” Journal of the American Dental Association, Vol. 138, No. 1, P. 132.
² Ibid.