Celebrating 50 years of fluoridation: a public health success story.

Community water fluoridation has served Americans extremely well as the cornerstone of dental caries prevention activities for over 49 years. While January 25, 1995, marks the fiftieth anniversary of fluoridation's inauguration at Grand Rapids, Michigan, the dental and general health benefits associated with the ingestion of water-borne fluorides have been well known by researchers for an even longer period. Continued research has repeatedly confirmed the safety, effectiveness and efficiency of community water fluoridation in preventing dental caries for the world's population.