water fluoridation began in the uk in around 1901.
water fluoridation began in the uk in around 1901.
when did water fluoridation begin in the uk?
around 1901
fluoridation became an official policy of the u.s. public health service by 1951, and by 1960 water fluoridation had become widely used in the u.s., reaching about 50 million people. by 2006, 69.2% of the u.s. population on public water systems were receiving fluoridated water, amounting to 61.5% of the total u.s. population; 3.0% of the population on public water systems were receiving naturally occurring fluoride. in some other countries the pattern was similar. new zealand, which led the world in per-capita sugar consumption and had the world's worst teeth, began fluoridation in 1953, and by 1968 fluoridation was used by 65% of the population served by a piped water supply. fluoridation was introduced into brazil in 1953, was regulated by federal law starting in 1974, and by 2004 was used by 71% of the population. in the republic of ireland, fluoridation was legislated in 1960, and after a constitutional challenge the two major cities of dublin and cork began it in 1964; fluoridation became required for all sizeable public water systems and by 1996 reached 66% of the population. in other locations, fluoridation was used and then discontinued: in kuopio, finland, fluoridation was used for decades but was discontinued because the school dental service provided significant fluoride programs and the cavity risk was low, and in basel, switzerland, it was replaced with fluoridated salt.
water fluoridation
although a 1989 workshop on cost-effectiveness of cavity prevention concluded that water fluoridation is one of the few public health measures that save more money than they cost, little high-quality research has been done on the cost-effectiveness and solid data are scarce. dental sealants are cost-effective only when applied to high-risk children and teeth. a 2002 u.s. review estimated that on average, sealing first permanent molars saves costs when they are decaying faster than 0.47 surfaces per person-year whereas water fluoridation saves costs when total decay incidence exceeds 0.06 surfaces per person-year. in the u.s., water fluoridation is more cost-effective than other methods to reduce tooth decay in children, and a 2008 review concluded that water fluoridation is the best tool for combating cavities in many countries, particularly among socially disadvantaged groups. a 2016 review of studies published between 1995 to 2013 found that water fluoridation in the u.s. was cost-effective, and that it was more so in larger communities.
water fluoridation