BACKGROUND The objective of this paper was to report on the level of support for water fluoridation among parents of primary school children in Lithgow and on the socio-demographic and oral health factors that may have influenced this support. METHODS As part of a survey in Lithgow of the oral health status of school children, their parents were asked to complete an oral health-related questi...

OBJECTIVES One argument made in favour of drinking water fluoridation is that it is equitable in its impact on oral health. We examined the association between exposure to fluoridation and oral health inequities among Canadian children.PARTICIPANTS, SETTING AND INTERVENTION: We analyzed data from 1,017 children aged 6-11 from Cycle 1 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey, a cross-sectional, na...

Water fluoridation remains a contentious issue in Canada and many communities choose not to fluoridate their water supply. As of 2007, 45.1% of the Canadian population had access to fluoridated water supplies. The main arguments for and against fluoridation have changed very little over the years, with supporters (including the World Health Organization and Health Canada) citing evidence that s...

J P Context: A recently updated Community Guide systematic review of the effectiveness of community water fluoridation once again found evidence that it reduces dental caries. Although community water fluoridation was found to save money in a 2002 Community Guide systematic review, the conclusion was based on studies conducted before 1995. Given the update to the effectiveness review, re-examin...

BACKGROUND There were some debates about the water fluoridation program in South Korea, even if the program had generally substantial effectiveness. Because the out-of-pocket expenditures for dental care were higher in South Korea than in other countries, an efficient solution was needed. Therefore, we examined the relationship between the implementation of water fluoridation and the utilizatio...

OBJECTIVES To compare prevalence and incidence of caries between fluoridation-ended and still-fluoridated communities in British Columbia, Canada, from a baseline survey and after three years. METHODS At the baseline (1993/4 academic year) and follow-up (1996/7) surveys, children were examined at their schools. Data were collected on snacking, oral hygiene, exposure to fluoride technologies, ...

provide substantial benefits for the dental health of six million people, many of them living in the west midlands and the north east ofEngland.4 The arguments for extending fluoridation are not as overwhelming as they were in 1956. The prevalence of dental caries has fallen in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated districts,5 and the costs of fluoridation plant designed to meet modem operating ...

The cost of salt fluoridation in a given country depends primarily on the number of salt factories and on the technical level available in the country. Equipment required may cost U.S. dollars 400,000 for large plants producing at least 20,000 tons/year providing salt for populations of several millions. Reliable batch mixers have been built locally for U.S. dollars 3000 to U.S. dollars 10,000,...

BACKGROUND Optimal (1ppm) water fluoridation is seen as the most socially equitable way to prevent dental caries, however concerns about the safety of fluoridation are periodically raised. METHODS Research on effects on bone published since the 1991 National Health and Medical Research Council report on water fluoridation was reviewed. RESULTS Thirty-three studies were identified. Adverse e...

Water fluoridation has been identified by CDC as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. The decline in the prevalence and severity of dental caries (tooth decay) in the United States during the past 60 years has been attributed largely to the increased use of fluoride. Community water fluoridation is an equitable and cost-effective method for delivering fluoride to the ...