Fluoridated Water Reaches More Americans
July 22, 2008

by Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service

INTELIHEALTH - Most Americans who don't drink well water live in places with fluoridated water, says a government study.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a look at fluoride in water supplies. It found that in 2006, about 70% of people who used town and city water systems had fluoridated water. That's about 184 million Americans.

In 1992, only about 66% of people on community water systems got fluoridated water.

Fluoride has been added to public water supplies since the 1950s. Studies show that it reduces cavity risk by nearly one-third.

Numbers vary widely by state. In Hawaii, only about 1 out of 12 people on city or town water have fluoridated water. In New Jersey, Oregon and California, fewer than 1 out of 3 people on public water systems have fluoridated water.

By contrast, all of the city water in Washington, D.C., contains fluoride. So does almost all city and town water in Minnesota, Kentucky and Illinois.

About 266 million people use town or city water systems. That's nearly 9 of every 10 Americans.

The study appears in the July 11 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).