Fluoridation after 67 years, challenges continue across nation
For 67 years, community water fluoridation has been part of the landscape in the United States public health arena. Hundreds of studies have confirmed its safety and effectiveness in reducing caries rates since 1945, when Grand Rapids, Mich., became the first community to adjust the fluoride levels in its water supply to lower tooth decay rates in children.
According to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoridated water now reaches more than 204 million U.S. residents—just under 74 percent of the population on public water systems. In 1999, the CDC proclaimed community water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.
