38 American Dental Association 2015 Ireland Health Research Board. Health Effects of Water Fluoridation: An Evidence Review.15 2015 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Panel on Community Water Fluoridation. U.S. Public Health Service Recommendation for Fluoride Concentration in Drinking Water for the Prevention of Dental Caries.16 2014 Public Health England. Water Fluoridation: Health Monitoring Report for England.17 2014 Royal Society of New Zealand and the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor. Health Effects of Water Fluoridation: a Review of the Scientific Evidence.18 2013 U.S. Community Preventive Services Task Force. The Guide to Community Preventive Services. Preventing Dental Caries: Community Water Fluoridation.19 2011 European Commission of the European Union Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER). Fluoridation.20 2008 Health Canada. Findings and Recommendations of the Fluoride Expert Panel.21 2007 Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council A Systematic Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Fluoridation Part A: Review Methodology and Results.22 The overwhelming weight of scientific evidence supports the safety of community water fluoridation. 18. Are additional studies being conducted to determine the effects of fluorides in humans? Answer. Yes. Since its inception, fluoridation has undergone a nearly continuous process of re-evaluation. As with other areas of science, additional studies on the effects of fluorides in humans can provide insight as to how to make effective choices for the use of fluoride. The American Dental Association and the U.S. Public Health Service support this on-going research. Fact. For more than 70 years, detailed reports have been published on multiple aspects of fluoridation. The accumulated dental, medical and public health evidence concerning fluoridation has been reviewed and evaluated numerous times by academicians, committees of experts, special councils of governments and most of the world’s major national and international health organizations. The consensus of the scientific community is that water fluoridation, at the level recommended to prevent tooth decay, safely provides oral health benefits which in turn supports improved general health. The question of possible secondary health effects caused by fluorides consumed in optimal concentrations throughout life has been the object of thorough medical investigations which have failed to show any impairment of general health throughout life.10-22 The consensus of the scientific community is that water fluoridation, at the level recommended to prevent tooth decay, safely provides oral health benefits which in turn supports improved general health. In scientific research, there is no such thing as “final knowledge.” New information is continuously emerging and being disseminated. Government agencies, such as the U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, and others continue to fund fluoride research. One example is the National Toxicology Program’s systematic review using animal studies to evaluate potential neurobehavioral effects from exposure to fluoride during development which began in 2015 and continues in 2017.23
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