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Q: Why is fluoride in water and toothpaste so important?
A: Fluoride in water and toothpaste is important because it has been proven to help prevent tooth decay. Every major health-related organization agrees that fluoride, in as little as one part per million, helps strengthen tooth enamel. Fluoride not only helps prevent decay; it has in some cases been shown to reverse the process.
Fluorine, the element from which fluoride is derived, is the 13th most abundant element. It is naturally present in all water. A water fluoridation program simply raises the level to roughly one part per million. Many American communities, incidentally, are still without fluoridated water supplies.
Fluoride has been credited with having reduced tooth decay in the United States by 50 to 60 percent since the start of community fluoridating programs in the years after World War II. So fluoride also helps hold down the cost of dental treatment. In areas of the country that do not have a fluoridated water supply, the use of toothpaste with fluoride, rinses and topical treatment by dentists have helped fight decay. Talk with your dentist to find out more about the benefit of fluoride.
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