Fluoridation

Name:
Fluoridation
Detailed information:
Addition to public drinking water supplies of 1 ppm of a fluoride salt for the purpose of reducing the incidence of dental caries. The chemicals most commonly used for city fluoridation programs are fluosilicic acid, sodium silicofluoride, and sodium fluoride. The concentration used has been established to be far below the permissible level of toxicity of fluorine-containing compounds in the human body. The program was successfully tested for over 20 years on local populations and since then has been widely adopted in large cities in the U.S. The protection is especially effective for children, whose teeth are usually more susceptible to caries than those of adults. Fluorine is a bone-seeking element; tooth protection is due to the ability of fluoride ion to replace other ions in hydroxyapatite, the chief mineral component of bones and teeth. Fluorides are used in toothpastes and other dentifrices.