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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proclaimed community water fluoridation to be one of the most significant public health advances of the 20th century and one of the safest, most cost-effective ways to increase overall oral health.
The Journal of the American Dental Association (July 2000) stated that fluoride is needed regularly throughout life to prevent tooth decay. Hence, both children and adults
will benefit from the fluoridation of Holmen’s public water supply.
There are people who attack fluoride and inaccurately portray it as unsafe. Scientific-based studies performed by nationally-recognized researchers in respected and peer-reviewed scientific journals conclude water fluoridation has not shown any adverse effects on health.
The American Dental Association has endorsed fluoridation as safe and effective for preventing tooth decay for more than 50 years.
Community water fluoridation is an important step in the process. True oral health care prevention requires a comprehensive approach and must include patient education, observance of healthy dietary habits, regular personal oral hygiene practices, consumption or application of appropriate fluorides, regular dental examinations (with
X-rays, if appropriate) and diagnosis by a licensed dentist, appropriate placement of dental sealants and necessary restorative treatment early in the development of dental disease.
Kurt Hulse is president of the La Crosse County Dental Society. Timothy Durtsche is the Wisconsin Dental Association’s Southwest Region 5 Trustee.
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