Fluoride in Our Water: Facts You Need to Make a Healthy Choice
This video was developed by The Pew Charitable Trusts and is published with their permissions on the Campaign for Dental Health YouTube channel. With so many confusing ideas out there, a lot of choices we make for our health can be difficult. Deciding to drink tap water with fluoride though should be easy. As of January 2015, states and communities have been adjusting the level of fluoride in public water systems for 70 years—which makes this a great time to look at facts:
· Roughly 74 percent of Americans whose homes are connected to a public water system receive fluoridated water.
· Water fluoridation has resulted in about a 25 percent decrease in tooth decay for children and adults.
· Adjusting fluoride levels in water is one of the most effective and cost-saving strategies for states and communities to improve the oral health of their residents.
This video was developed by The Pew Charitable Trusts and is published with their permissions on the Campaign for Dental Health YouTube channel.
UNEDITED TRANSCRIPT
We try to make healthy choices about what we and our families eat and drink.
But deciding what’s healthy can be difficult when there are so many confusing ideas about what’s best for ourselves…
….and our families.
That’s how some people feel when deciding whether or not to drink tap water with fluoride.
And it’s ok to ask questions.
Nearly three out of every four people on public water systems in the United States lives in a place where their community has decided to adjust fluoride in the water to the optimal level to prevent cavities.
And on average they have 25 percent fewer cavities than communities that don’t fluoridate their water and 25 percent fewer trips to the dentist for fillings.
It also means families have fewer missed days from school and work.
Every time you drink water with fluoride, you can help protect your teeth against decay and cavities. When you eat, sugars in food feed bacteria in your mouth forming acid that attacks your teeth.
Every time you drink fluoridated water, the fluoride strengthens and protects teeth from this acid.
Every reputable health and medical organizations in the world recommends fluoridated water including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the American Dental Association.
According to the CDC, more than a billion dollars could be saved annually if every community adjusted fluoride in the water.
For 70 years, people in the United States and around the world have benefited from drinking water with fluoride.
With that kind of history, you can feel good about protecting your teeth, protecting your health, and making the choice to drink water with fluoride. Visit www.ilikemyteeth.org to learn more!