Fluoridated water for cavity prevention

Severe fluorosis results in pitting and staining of the tooth surface.4 The cost of dental care in Canada was $9.9 billion in 2006.1 A review of the costs, benefits, and safety of water fluoridation will help inform decisions to initiate or to continue with this public health intervention. [...] Evidence based guidelines were included if they assessed water fluoridation or other methods to deliver fluoride for cavity prevention and included a description of the methods used to search and evaluate the literature, and to develop recommendations. [...] The results showed a statistically significant relationship between level of fluoride in water and the prevalence of fluorosis, with increasing prevalence as the fluoride concentration increased. [...] The absolute difference in fluorosis increased by approximately 4% to 5%.4 In the McDonagh review, 29 studies were included in the assessment of fracture risk and fluoridation (ecological, retrospective and prospective cohort, and case-control studies). [...] The results were most sensitive to changes in the estimates of water fluoridation effectiveness.6 The authors concluded that water fluoridation is cost saving to Colorado and additional savings and reductions in morbidity could be achieved if fluoridation was implemented in other communities with low natural fluoride levels.