CITY OF EUSTIS WILL CONTINUE FLUORIDATION ON THEIR COMMUNITY PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM 

Lake County – The Florida Department of Health in Lake County (DOH-Lake) is happy to announce that the City of Eustis has unanimously agreed to continue the fluoridation on their community public water system.

This positive public health action was the result of community engagement including dentists, dental professionals, dental association leaders, community health centers, public health and citizens who attended and spoke.  Letters of support from the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dental Hygienists’ Association, Florida Water Resource Management, Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, Oral Health Florida and Children’s Dental Health Project were all instrumental in this decision.  Aaron Kissler, DOH-Lake Administrator, provided a Policy Statement on Community Water Fluoridation from State Surgeon General to further reinforce the safety and efficacy of water fluoridation in preventing dental decay in both children and adults.

 Because of its contribution to the dramatic decline in tooth decay, fluoridation of community water supplies has been proclaimed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20^th century.

“We applaud the City of Eustis for continuing the fluoridation program in their public water system.  This is an effective way to prevent one of the most common childhood diseases, dental decay, and promote good oral health” said Aaron Kissler, Administrator with the Florida Department of Health in Lake County.

As per the American Dental Association, the 5 reasons why Fluoride in Water is good for communities are:

• Prevents tooth decay. Fluoride in water is the most efficient way to prevent one of the most common childhood diseases – tooth decay. An estimated 51 million school hours and 164 million work hours are lost each year due to dental-related illness.  Community water fluoridation is so effective at preventing tooth decay that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named it one of 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.
• Protects all ages against cavities.  Studies show that fluoride in community water systems prevents at least 25 percent of tooth decay in children and adults, even in an era with widespread availability of fluoride from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste.
• Safe and effective. For 70 years, the best available scientific evidence consistently indicates that community water fluoridation is safe and effective. It has been endorsed by numerous U.S. Surgeons General, and more than 100 health organizations recognize the health benefits of water fluoridation for preventing dental decay, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Saves money. The average lifetime cost per person to fluoridate  a water supply is less than the cost of one dental filling. For most cities, every $1 invested in water fluoridation saves $38 in dental treatment costs.
• It’s natural. Fluoride is naturally present in groundwater and the oceans. Water fluoridation is the adjustment of fluoride to a recommended level for preventing tooth decay. It’s similar to fortifying other foods and beverages, like fortifying salt with iodine, milk with vitamin D, orange juice with calcium and bread with folic.

For more information on community water fluoridation, please visit the American Dental Association website at http://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/advocating-for-the-public/fluoride-and-fluoridation?source=goto or the Florida Department of Health website at https://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/community-health/dental-health/fluoridation/index.html

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