Fluoridation History

History of Fluoridation
Prior to the to the twentieth century, tooth decay was rampant throughout the majority of the developing United States. Around seventy percent of all school children had severe tooth decay, and this either went untreated or the teeth were pulled. (Ripa, 1993). That is to say, dental health awareness was minimal, and little was being done as far as preventive care. In the early nineteen-hundreds, however, researchers discovered that populations in areas with naturally fluoridated water had significant reductions in tooth decay compared to those who those who did not. Upon learning this, cities throughout the United States slowly began to implement artificial fluoridation of public waters, and by 1964 over half of the
First of all, teeth are primarily composed of the compound hydroxyapatite, which is structurally stable, however, it is highly reactive with acids. The risk for decay is then caused by bacteria which create acids through metabolism. In contrast, fluoride chemically combines with hydroxyapatite to create a more acid resistant - although more brittle - fluorapatite to help prevent tooth decay (Presson & Shaddix 2001). Furthermore, it is also important to know that fluoride interacts with teeth primarily through direct contact, (Foulkes, 2002). A point that is often overlooked, is that fluoride was only added to water as a mechanism to transport fluoride treatment on a large scale. Ingestion is not necessary. Again, it is important to understand that when fluoridation was first implemented, people were not taking the initiative to take care of their teeth, so the government took the
One study, created by the researchers Murray and Rugg-Gunn, primarily focused on the dental health of three and a half to five year old children. This group is most susceptible to fluoride treatment and tooth decay. In their study, they compiled statistics comparing tooth decay children in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas and showing the difference as a percent value (Ripa, 1993). The Murray Rugg-Gunn plot focuses on the changes between 1956 an 1989 and looks as