Fluoride Day

Fluoride Day is observed annually on January 25th.

On January 25, 1945, the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, added fluoride to the city's water system and community water fluoridation began. Since that day, this simple, safe, and inexpensive public health intervention has contributed to a dramatic reduction in tooth decay in the United States, with each generation enjoying better oral health than previous system.

When the dental health benefits of fluoride were discovered in the 1930s, the next step was to achieve optimal levels in the community water supply. Four communities agreed to conduct community studies, and Grand Rapids was the first to begin. After adding fluoride to its water supply, Grand Rapids was compared to communities with no added fluoride. A detailed assessment of the relationship between fluoridation and caries was then performed. The National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences (NRC) reviewed the results and found a significant reduction in tooth decay among Grand Rapids children. On November 29, 1951, the NRC declared water fluoridation to be safe, effective, and beneficial.

Fluoride is a mineral from nature found in many foods and water. Every day, through two processes both demineralization and remineralization, minerals are added to and lost from the enamel layer. Minerals are lost from tooth enamel when acids form from plaque bacteria and sugar in the mouth - attack the enamel. Minerals such as fluoride, calcium and phosphate are re-deposited (remineralized) into the enamel layer from food and drinking water. Too much demineralization without enough remineralization to repair enamel leads to tooth decay.

Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by strengthening the teeth's ability to resist acid attack from plaque bacteria and sugar in the mouth. It also helps prevent premature rotting. In children under 6 years of age, fluoride combines with the growth of permanent teeth, making it difficult for acids to demineralize the teeth. Fluoride also helps speed up remineralization as well as disrupts acid production in the teeth of both children and adults.