Have Americans had less tooth decay since water fluoridation began?
Yes. Independent studies initiated in 1945 and 1946 followed four communities and assessed the value of water fluoridation. By 1960, tooth decay rates in these communities declined, on average, 56% more than in demographically similar communities whose water supplies were not fluoridated. Now that there are additional ways of obtaining fluoride benefits such as in toothpaste, rinses, and professional treatments, as well as in many foods and beverages produced in fluoridated areas; more recent studies show that water fluoridation reduces tooth decay in permanent teeth by approximately 18%—40%. Although this reduction in decay is not as dramatic as it was in the 1950s and 1960s, it continues to be significant when compared with tooth decay in many nonfluoridated communities.
