Even though tooth decay is nearly always a preventable disease, nearly one in four preschool-age children have experienced a cavity. A new online resource points to the need for a “coordinated system” approach to make early childhood cavities a thing of the past. And community water fluoridation is a key part of this system contra angle handpiece.
EndCavities.org, a website launched this month by the Children’s Dental Health Project (CDHP), explains that keeping kids cavity-free during these early years can put them on a path to lifelong good oral health. The website links to two infographics that demonstrate the importance of fluoridation.
The first infographic on EndCavities.org identifies all of the people — including dentists, pediatricians and community health workers — who can play key roles to help children who are most at risk of tooth decay. This same infographic encourages families to take smart steps at home to keep their children cavity-free, including “habits such as twice-daily tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste, limiting sugars and drinking fluoridated tap water.”
We know that untreated tooth decay can take a significant toll on children’s health and well-being, but early childhood cavities also take an economic toll. Both families and state budgets pay significant amounts of money when it becomes necessary to fill cavities or perform other dental treatments. The second infographic explains that by preventing cavities for low-income children ages 0-5, fluoridation saves a state Medicaid program $6 for every $1 spent on this practice dental implant machine.
Of course, fluoridation saves much more money if you include the impact for older children and for all adults. This web page summarizes the impressive overall savings from fluoridation.
American Fluoridation Society Targets Inaccurate Information in U.S. Communities
Although the leading health, medical and scientific organizations continue to recommend community water fluoridation as a valuable tool to reduce tooth decay, anti-fluoride groups have become increasingly successful at using the internet to misinform, confuse or needlessly frighten the public. To combat this, a group of dental and medical professionals recently announced the creation of the American Fluoridation Society (AFS) which will work to debunk myths and clarify the evidence behind fluoridation’s safety and benefits.
The AFS will provide testimony and technical assistance to state and local communities that are seeking to start fluoridation or defend the practice against attacks vacuum forming machine dental. Dr Johnny Johnson, a pediatric dentist who is AFS’s president, says the organization will move aggressively to assist communities that want to share the facts about fluoride. “AFS will be active both online and on the ground,” he declared.
“Before fluoride was added to water and toothpaste, tooth decay was a sad and painful fact of life for nearly all Americans,” Dr Johnson explained. “Although we see fewer cavities today, tooth decay remains the most common chronic disease for children and adults.”