© 2025 American Dental Association l 113
Fluoridation Facts
Benefits from the prevention of tooth decay include:
• Freedom from dental pain
• A more positive self-image
• Fewer missing teeth
• Fewer cases of poorly aligned teeth aggravated by tooth loss
• Fewer teeth requiring root canal treatment
• Reduced need for crowns, bridges, dentures, and implants
• Less time lost from school or work because of dental pain and/or visits to the dentist
While some of these types of benefits are difficult to measure economically, they are extremely
important.314,480
Fluoridation remains the most cost-effective and practical form of preventing tooth decay in the
United States and other countries with established municipal water systems. It is one of the very
few public health measures that actually saves more money than it costs.46,60,480,481
69. Why fluoridate an entire water system when the vast majority
of the water is not used for drinking?
Answer
It is more practical and less costly to fluoridate an entire water supply than to attempt to treat
only the water that will be consumed.
Fact
Water systems treat all the water supplied to communities to the same high standards for disinfection,
clarity, or fluoridation, whether the water is to be used for washing, watering lawns, preparing food,
or drinking. Although not all that water needs to be disinfected, clarified, or fluoridated, it is more
practical and cost-efficient to treat all the water delivered to the customer to the same standard.
Fluoride is only one of more than 40 chemicals and additives that are used to treat water in the United
States.314 Many are added for esthetic or convenience purposes, such as to improve the odor or taste,
prevent natural cloudiness, or prevent staining of clothes or porcelain.36 The cost of additives for
fluoridating a community’s water supply is very low on a per capita basis therefore, it is practical to
fluoridate the entire water supply. It would be prohibitively expensive and impractical for a community
to have two water systems—one that provided drinking water and another for all other water use
(watering lawns, laundry, flushing toilets).
Many organizations that are concerned about water use, conservation, and quality support the
practice of water fluoridation. For example, the American Water Works Association, an international
nonprofit scientific and educational association dedicated to the improvement of drinking water
quality and supply, supports the practice of fluoridation of public water supplies.482
Fluoridation Facts
Benefits from the prevention of tooth decay include:
• Freedom from dental pain
• A more positive self-image
• Fewer missing teeth
• Fewer cases of poorly aligned teeth aggravated by tooth loss
• Fewer teeth requiring root canal treatment
• Reduced need for crowns, bridges, dentures, and implants
• Less time lost from school or work because of dental pain and/or visits to the dentist
While some of these types of benefits are difficult to measure economically, they are extremely
important.314,480
Fluoridation remains the most cost-effective and practical form of preventing tooth decay in the
United States and other countries with established municipal water systems. It is one of the very
few public health measures that actually saves more money than it costs.46,60,480,481
69. Why fluoridate an entire water system when the vast majority
of the water is not used for drinking?
Answer
It is more practical and less costly to fluoridate an entire water supply than to attempt to treat
only the water that will be consumed.
Fact
Water systems treat all the water supplied to communities to the same high standards for disinfection,
clarity, or fluoridation, whether the water is to be used for washing, watering lawns, preparing food,
or drinking. Although not all that water needs to be disinfected, clarified, or fluoridated, it is more
practical and cost-efficient to treat all the water delivered to the customer to the same standard.
Fluoride is only one of more than 40 chemicals and additives that are used to treat water in the United
States.314 Many are added for esthetic or convenience purposes, such as to improve the odor or taste,
prevent natural cloudiness, or prevent staining of clothes or porcelain.36 The cost of additives for
fluoridating a community’s water supply is very low on a per capita basis therefore, it is practical to
fluoridate the entire water supply. It would be prohibitively expensive and impractical for a community
to have two water systems—one that provided drinking water and another for all other water use
(watering lawns, laundry, flushing toilets).
Many organizations that are concerned about water use, conservation, and quality support the
practice of water fluoridation. For example, the American Water Works Association, an international
nonprofit scientific and educational association dedicated to the improvement of drinking water
quality and supply, supports the practice of fluoridation of public water supplies.482
