The fluoridation status of U.S. public water supplies.

It has been 40 years since the first community in the United States added a regulated amount of fluoride to its public water supply to prevent tooth decay. Despite the proven benefits of fluoride, today only 61 percent of the U.S. population on public water supplies receives fluoridated water. Progress in fluoridating water is impeded by antifluoridation campaigns and a change in the way Federal funds are allocated for State and local fluoridation programs. Despite profluoridation efforts by the Public Health Service, American Dental Association, and other organizations, the well-publicized claims of fluoride hazards by opponents have prevented many communities from initiating water fluoridation and have caused other communities to discontinue their programs. The law and half a century of research are on the side of fluoridation, as are new scientific findings indicating that optimal amounts of fluoride may reduce the incidence or severity of osteoporosis.