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BENEFITS ALTERNATIVES
OVERDOSE DISEASES PUBLIC COST |
BENEFITS Question
7. ADA's
Fluoridation Facts Short Answer ADA's
Fluoridation Facts Long Answer Despite a decrease in the overall decay experience of U.S. schoolchildren over the past two decades, tooth decay is still a significant oral health problem, especially in certain segments of the population. The 1986-1987 National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) survey of approximately 40,000 U.S. school children found that 25% of students ages 5 to 17 accounted for 75% of the decay experienced in permanent teeth.58 Some of the risk factors that increase an individual's risk for decay are irregular dental visits, deep pits and fissures in the chewing surfaces of teeth, inadequate saliva flow, frequent sugar intake and very high oral bacteria counts. Additional discussion on this topic may be found in the Introduction, Water Fluoridation's Role in Reducing Dental Decay. Because dental decay is so common, it mistakenly tends to be regarded as an inevitable part of life. Data from NHANES III collected on adults aged 18 and older revealed that 94% showed evidence of past or present decay in the crowns of teeth, and 22.5% had evidence of root surface decay.59 In addition to impacting emotional and social well-being, the consequences of dental disease are reflected in the cost of its treatment. The nation's dental health bill in 1997 was $50.6 billion.60 Again, the goal must be prevention rather than repair. Fluoridation is presently the most cost-effective method for the prevention of tooth decay for residents of a community in the United States.61, 62 Repeat
of Question 7. Opposition's Response There has been a decline in dental decay in the United States in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas, as well as in Europe, which is now 98% fluoridation free. It is probably due to improved diet and dental hygiene. Dental decay is still a serious problem, but fluoridation is not the answer. The ADA states that, "Fluoridation is presently the most cost-effective method for the prevention of tooth decay for all residents of a community." It is not. Dental bills are higher in fluoridated areas than in non-fluoridated areas. (See Cost Effectiveness section). |
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