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Oral Health Services

Community Benefits


  • Numerous research studies and 60 years of experience have shown that water fluoridation is safe, effective and the best method of improving oral health in a community.


  • Water fluoridation is recognized as a Top 10 Public Health Achievement of the 20th century by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).


  • Although dental caries are largely preventable, it remains the most common chronic disease of children aged 5 to 17 years. In the U.S., tooth decay affects
    •   
    • one out of four elementary school children
    • two out of three adolescents
    • nine out of ten adults
  • Both children and adults benefit from water fluoridation. Studies have demonstrated that people in communities with fluoridated water have 20 to 40% less tooth decay than those in communities without fluoridated water.


  • The cost to fluoridate water for the lifetime of one person is less than the cost to treat one cavity.


  • Every dollar spent on fluoridation saves $38 in avoided dental bills.


  • In 2008, the CDC estimated that 72.4% of U.S. residents who receive their water from community water systems, or 195 million people, had access to fluoridated water. The Healthy People 2020 goal is to increase this to 79.6%. In Tennessee, 91.4% of the population has access to fluoridated water, resulting in better oral health, less dental pain, and fewer cavities for millions of people living in Tennessee.