Fluoridation

The CDA Foundation strongly supports the fluoridation of community drinking water sources. In 1999, the CDA Foundation (at that time the CDA Research Fund) joined a statewide collaboration called the California Fluoridation Workgroup. The goal of the coalition, now the California Fluoridation Advisory Council, is to develop a statewide fluoridation program using funds provided from The California Endowment project grant to increase the number of Californians receiving water fluoridation. The Workgroup is a partnership of the CDA Foundation, California Dental Association, California Department of Health Services, Dental Health Foundation, and the California Fluoridation Task Force, as well and local and regional water officials, engineers, and public awareness experts.

In 2000, the United States Surgeon General released the first-ever report on oral health in America. In it, the Surgeon General reported that water fluoridation was one of the most cost-effective strategies for improving the oral health of America, specifically in the reduction of dental caries (cavities). More recently, United States Centers for Disease Control named water fluoridation as one of the top 10 public health measures.

The CDA Foundation has successfully facilitated funding for fluoridation, serving more than 26 million Californians.Even with that success, more work is needed to reach the Healthy People 2010 goal of 75%. For more information on the benefits of water fluoridation or the Fluoridation Workgroup, contact Jon Roth or visit: cda.org/library/public/community_water_fluoridation.pdf.

Contribute to the Fluoridation Program.

As part of the Fluoridation Advisory Council, the CDA Foundation is hoping to have 75% of all Californians drinking fluoridated water by the year 2010.