New Tool Helps Assess Community Water Fluoridation Status Across the United States

Determining the fluoride status of a patient’s water supply is key to providing the best recommendations for caries prevention. Even if the question is asked during risk assessment, patients may not know if they live in a neighborhood with community water fluoridation. Fortunately, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a new tool that makes it simple to determine which public water systems offer fluoridation: My Water’s Fluoride. Not only does the website note whether a community has fluoridation, it also states the level of fluoride added to the water system. This is key because some communities have “short feeded,” or not added enough fluoride to provide caries-preventive benefits. For instance, the residents of Buffalo, New York, were surprised to find that the city had stopped fluoridating the water in 2015 without notifying the public. The website offers fluoridation information on more than 40 states. Click here to read more.