The Texas Oral Health Coalition unequivocally supports community water fluoridation in the fight against dental decay for adults and children living in the state of Texas.
Community water fluoridation is the adjustment of the existing fluoride levels in the public drinking water systems to a level that reduces tooth decay. Scientific evidence compiled over more than seven decades demonstrates that fluoridation is a safe, cost-effective, and equitable intervention that benefits everyone in a given community regardless of age, race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. The tremendous success of fluoridation led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to declare it one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.
Dental disease continues to have a profound impact on the health of children and adults living in Texas, with a greater impact to those who are at greater risk for disease. Tooth decay is the most common childhood disease and is 5 times more common than asthma. Studies demonstrate that children lose over 51 million hours of school per year, and adults lose more than 1.5 million work hours annually due to dental disease. Community water fluoridation has been shown to reduce dental decay by between 18-40%.
Water fluoridation is endorsed by the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, the American Dental Association, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, and the five most recent U.S. Surgeons General. In addition, more than 100 national and international organizations have recognized the public health benefits of community water fluoridation. The scientific evidence over the past 75 years demonstrates that community water fluoridation is a safe, cost-effective, and equitable approach to prevent tooth decay.
Educational Materials and Resources
Websites
| Fluoride for Smiles has pulled together a wealth of free resources, social media messages, and marketing toolkits to build public support for water fluoridation. |
| The Campaign for Dental Health The Campaign for Dental Health, a program of the American Academy of Pediatrics, has organized to defend our progress and ensure that more children get the basic dental care they need to grow, learn, and lead healthy lives. |
| The American Fluoridation Society was founded in 2014 by a group of concerned professionals anxious to see all residents of the United States served by community water systems enjoy the benefits of community water fluoridation (CWF). Equally important to this Society is to prevent rollback attempts by opponents of CWF, as well as to initiate CWF where it has not been previously available. |
| The British Fluoridation Society We provide information about the dental benefits and safety of water fluoridation, a public health measure that involves adjusting the naturally occurring fluoride content of water to the optimum level for good oral health.
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| Fluoride in Water from the American Dental Association (ADA) Fluoride and Fluoridation Resources for dentists, health professionals and the public. |
| Community Water Fluoridation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) The CDC provides water fluoridation resources including water fluoridation basics, guidelines and recommendations, data and statistics, and more. |
| Your Source for High Quality, Detailed Science on Fluoride & Fluoridation |
| By the Center for Fluoride Research Analysis – is produced by an independent board of experts in the field. It has been an invaluable resource for topic summaries, critical appraisals, reviews, commentaries, and interviews on fluoride research. |
| Making Sense of Fluoride (MSoF) is an incorporated society, whose main aim is to counter much of the misinformation on the internet and print media related to community water fluoridation. We are a combination of students, academics and medical professionals advocating that this significant public health initiative be maintained in Australasia given the longstanding scientific consensus on its safety and efficacy. |
| Fluoride Legislative User Information Database(FLUID) The Fluoride Legislative User Information Database is a comprehensive database containing legal decisions by U.S. courts and current information on federal, state and local policies regarding community water fluoridation. |
Infographics and Fact Sheets
- Fluoride – Fact Sheet for Consumers (NIH, June 17, 2024)
- Fluoride – Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (NIH, June 26, 2024)
- Fluoride Facts for Water Operators (ADA)
Let’s Talk About Water Fluoridation (Oral Health Kansas & KDA)
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 | CDC Timeline for Community Water Fluoridation |
 | Campaign for Dental Health, How Fluoride Works Poster (English | Spanish) |
| Other CDC Water Fluoridation Education Materials | |
| American Dental Association 2022 Action For Fluoride | |
| Making Sense of Fluoride |
 | Why Do Children Need Fluoride Infographic |
 | Campaign for Dental Health, Fluoride: Cavity Fighter (English | Spanish) |
 | Campaign for Dental Health, Fluorosis Facts: A Resource for Parents and Caregivers |
 | Fluoride Exposed Modern miracles: 10 ways we beat disease over the last century |
 | The American Dental Association’s (ADA) – “Fluoridation Facts” |
| Pew “Myths and Facts” –Talking points for advocates. |
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| Brush Up on Oral Health Tip Sheet – Community Water Fluoridation |
Flickr_CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0_mikenan1 | “Q & A: Infants & Fluoridated Water” |
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Articles and Reports
Recent Articles
- The truth about fluoride in water, explained by our science editor (The Sunday Times, December 2024)
- Community Water Fluoridation is Effective at Preventing Cavities (ADA, October 2024)
- Research review contends fluoride in water is less effective than in 1970s (ADA, October 2024)
- Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries (Cochrane, October 2024)
- Community Water Fluoridation at Optimal Levels is Safe and Effective (ADA, September 2024)
- Judge orders EPA to address impacts of fluoride in drinking water (ADA, September 2024)
- AADOCR Continues to Support Community Water Fluoridation (AADOCR, September 2024)
- AAP, ADA stand by fluoride recommendations following court ruling (AAP, September 2024)
- The truth behind that viral study on fluoride and IQ (Stat, September 2024)
- Fluoride Face-Off: Court Ruling Challenges, but Science Stands Firm (Unbiased Science, Podcast, September 2024)
- A California court’s troubling decision in the EPA fluoride lawsuit (AFS, September 2024)
- Public Affairs Advisory, Fluoride levels in drinking water (American Water Works Association, September 2024)
- Fluoride’s PR Nightmare (Unbiased Science, Podcast, August 2024)
- AAP stands by recommendations for low fluoride levels to prevent caries (August 2024)
- Troubled Government Report Finally Sees the Light of Day (Campaign for Dental Health, August 2024)
- Fluoride Exposure: Neurodevelopment and Cognition (National Toxicology Program, 2024)
Advocating for Oral Health Through Fluoridation (NASN Sch Nurse, 2019)- Association of Nationwide Water Fluoridation, Changes in Dental Care Legislation, and Caries-Related Treatment Needs: A 9-Year Record-Based Cross-Sectional Study (Journal of Dentistry, 2023)
- Consequences of community water fluoridation cessation for Medicaid-eligible children and adolescents in Juneau, Alaska (BMC Oral Health, 2018)
- Costs And Savings Associated With Community Water Fluoridation In The United States (Health Affairs, 2016)
- Exposure to Fluoride: How It’s Measured Really Matters (Campaign for Dental Health, 2024)
- Fluoridation and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – a critique of Malin and Till (Ken Perrott, 2017)
- Does Fluoride Lower IQ Scores? (Campaign for Dental Health, 2024)
- Flawed MIREC fluoride and intelligence quotient publications: A failed attempt to undermine community water fluoridation (Community Dent Oral Epidemiol., 2024)
- Fluoride and IQ (Science-Based Medicine, November 2023)
- Fluoride and IQ Scores – What the Research Shows (June 2014)
- Fluoride exposure and indicators of thyroid functioning in the Canadian population: implications for community water fluoridation (Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2017)
- Impact of community water fluoridation on systemic health excluding oral health. An evidence review (HRB, 2022)
- “In Their Own Words” (Campaign for Dental Health)
- Is fluoride a risk factor for bone cancer? Small area analysis of osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma diagnosed among 0-49-year-olds in Great Britain, 1980-2005 (International Journal of Epidemiology, 2014)
- May 2000 Water Fluoridation Savings in Texas (DSHS, 2000)
- Promoting support for community water fluoridation: Testing message effects and the role of normative beliefs (JADA, 2021)
- Recent trends in dental caries in U.S. children and the effect of water fluoridation (Journal of Dental Research, 1990)
- Savings from Water Fluoridation: What the Evidence Shows (Campaign for Dental Health)
- Separating Fact from Fiction on Water Fluoridation ( Association of Health Care Journalists, 2014)
- Social Media Conversations about Community Water Fluoridation: Formative Research to Guide Health Communication ( Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 2020)
- State Laws and Regulations Addressing Fluoridation in Water (The Network for Public Health Law, 2020)
- State Laws and Regulations Addressing Fluoridation in Water (The Network for Public Health Law, 2019)
- Study: Fluoridation More Beneficial than Free Dental Care (Campaign for Dental Health November 2023)
- Surgeons General: Strong, Consistent Support For Community Water Fluoridation (Department of Health and Human Services, 2004)
- Systematic Review of Evidence Pertaining to Factors That Modify Risk of Early Childhood Caries (JDR Clin Trans Res., 2019)
- The effect of community water fluoridation on dental caries in children and young people in England: an ecological study (Journal of Public Health, 2022)
- Water Fluoridation and Dental Caries in U.S. Children and Adolescents (J Dent Res., 2018)
- Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015)
- Water Fluoridation Statistics (CDC)
Advocating for Oral Health Through Fluoridation
Photo Source: Flickr | Aqua Mechanical (CC BY 2.0)
Toolkits
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Campaign for Dental HealthVideos
TxOHC Community Water Fluoridation Shorts Playlist
Unbiased Science Podcast
American Fluoridation Society Youtube Channel
Health Data Dashboard
The Texas Health Data Dashboard includes date reports on:
- Community Water Fluoridation
- Texas Community Profile
- Access to Care
- Chronic Conditions
- Tobacco Use
- Opioid Use
- Diabetes in Texas
- Obesity in Texas