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Since the 1950s, each U.S. Public Health Service Surgeon General has committed his
or her support for community water fluoridation. Below is the most recent endorsement
supporting community water fluoridation from Surgeon General, David Satcher, MD,
PhD.
December 3, 2001—For more than half a century, community water fluoridation
has been the cornerstone of caries prevention in the United States. As noted in
my May 2000 report, The Future of Oral Health Care in America,
community water fluoridation continues to be the most cost-effective, practical
and safe means for reducing and controlling the occurrence of tooth decay in a community.
In thousands of communities in the United States where naturally-occurring fluoride
levels are deficient, small amounts of fluoride have been added to drinking water
supplies with dramatic results. More than 50 years of scientific research has found
that people living in communities with fluoridated water have healthier teeth and
fewer cavities than those living where the water is not fluoridated.
Almost two-thirds of the United States population served by public water supplies
consume water with optimal fluoride levels. Of the 50 largest cities in the country,
43 are fluoridated. A significant advantage of water fluoridation is that anyone,
regardless of socioeconomic level, can enjoy these health benefits during their
daily lives—at home, work, or at school or play—simply by drinking fluoridated
water or beverages prepared with fluoridated water. Water fluoridation is a powerful
strategy in our efforts to eliminate health disparities among populations.
Unfortunately, over one-third of the United States population (100 million people)
is without this critical public health measure.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recognized the fluoridation
of drinking water as one of ten great public health achievements of the twentieth
century. Water fluoridation has helped improve the quality of life in the
United States through reduced pain and suffering related to tooth decay, reduced
time lost from school and work, and less money spent to restore, remove, or replace
decayed teeth. Fluoridation is the single most effective public health measure to
prevent tooth decay and improve oral health over a lifetime, for both children and
adults.
Water fluoridation continues to be a highly cost-effective strategy, even in areas
where the overall caries level has declined and the cost of implementing water fluoridation
has increased. Compared to the cost of restorative treatment, water fluoridation
actually provides cost savings, a rare characteristic for community-based disease
prevention strategies.
While we can be pleased with what has already been accomplished, it is clear that
there is much yet to be done. I join previous Surgeons General in acknowledging
the continuing public health role for community water fluoridation in enhancing
the oral health of all Americans.
David Satcher, MD, PhD
Surgeon General
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