Fluoride will soon be back in Browning’swater supply to help fight off tooth decay.

The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council passed a resolution recently in support of fluoridating a water project that will help about half of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, according to the Glacier Reporter.

It’s been about 10 years since fluoride was taken out of the town’s water supply, and local dentists have attributed a rise in tooth decay to the absence of fluoride.

The newspaper reports that about 77 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 5 had decay in their teeth in 2007, which was more than triple the amount of children when fluoride was removed in 1998. A more recent screening of Head Start children found that 55 percent of the children had untreated tooth decay.

The Two Medicine water project will provide water to 5,000 of the 10,000 Blackfeet Reservation residents. Fluoride is a natural element found in rocks, soil, fresh water and salty ocean water.

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See also: Blackfeet Tribal Council passes resolution supporting fluoridation

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