In January of this year, water from a well in Public Water District #1 in Lincoln County tested for a level of fluoride at 4.2 milligrams per liter, as reported by KMOV. (Every water system in the state has to file regular reports on their mineral content and contaminants content with the state Department of Natural Resources.) Naturally occurring, the fluoride exceeded the recommended level of 4.0 in water. A local dentist cited more cases of fluorosis (the appearance of white lines or streaks on teeth), a chronic condition caused by immoderate fluoride intake, in Troy than his previous workplaces. The water operator had to release a warning that children under the age of 8 shouldn’t drink the water (as their teeth are still forming).
Fluorosis is a side effect of overexposure to fluoride that “alters calcium signaling, mitochondrial function, and gene expression in the cells forming tooth enamel,” according to a study from researchers at the New York University College of Dentistry. At the right level of 0.7 parts per million, the addition of fluoride “is effective to reduce the decay of children’s and adults’ teeth up to 25 percent,” says John Dane, Missouri’s State Dental Director.
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The history of fluoride goes back to 1901 when a Colorado dentist was puzzled by brown staining appearing on his children patients’ teeth (extreme cases of fluorosis). Often, their tooth enamel was also mottled and pitted—but he also noticed the children had fewer cavities than other kids. By 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first community to adjust their water supply levels as part of a study. In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named it one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century, among vaccination and recognizing tobacco as a health hazard.
“If you use if you drink fluoridated water along with using a fluoride toothpaste and are visiting your dentist or getting a fluoride treatment at the dentist on a regular basis,” Dane says, “you take the percentage of children that have no decay in a population group from 3 percent to 18 percent.”
It’s not just a health benefit, Dane adds. Considering the average 25 percent decrease in tooth decay in an area, he simplifies the economic impact like this: “Most dental offices, to get a single surface filling done, cost you about $135 or more, so if you have four kids with two cavities each every year, you’re getting pretty close to $1,000 a year.” According to the American Dental Association, for every dollar invested in community water fluoridation, you save at least $27.
Decisions to add fluoride to water supplies are at the local level, so any town or city that has a municipal water supply can decide if want it.
For more information on fluoride, visit https://health.mo.gov.
