By: Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, UCHealth
Dec. 13, 2024
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral, and local communities across the U.S. decide whether to add fluoride to water supplies in order to reduce cavities.
The history of fluoride in water has a fascinating Colorado connection. Back in 1901, a young dental school graduate named Frederick McKay moved to Colorado Springs and while launching his dental practice, noticed brown stains on the teeth of children in Colorado Springs. McKay worked for years to understand the cause of the staining and decades later, he and other dentists and researchers confirmed that the staining was linked to naturally-occurring fluoride in Colorado Springs’ water. They also found naturally-occurring fluoride in other communities around the country. (Learn how McKay and others figured out that fluoride in water was decreasing cavities and improving dental health.)
While high levels of natural fluoride in water caused brown stains, dentists also learned that fluoride strengthened the protective coating on teeth and prevented tooth decay. That’s what led public health experts to start adding safe amounts of fluoride to water supplies. The first community to do so was Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1945. The results were stunning. After 10 years, dentists found that the rate of cavities in children in Grand Rapids dropped by 60%.
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As fluoridated water has reemerged as a hotly-debated health topic, we consulted with a dental expert to answer frequently asked questions about fluoride and public health.
Dr. Bruce Dye is a professor at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus. He is also chair of the Department of Community Dentistry and Population Health and is a co-author of the seminal U.S. study: “Oral Health in America.”