The Village of Dexter will begin adding a small amount of fluoride into its water system beginning the week of May 2.

Currently, Dexter’s water contains approximately 0.4 parts per million (ppm), and an additional 0.3 ppm will be added to reach the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines of 0.7 ppm, according to information provided by the village.

The Dexter Village Council approved adding the additional fluoride to the village water system in May 2009. At the time, it was estimated to cost between $75,000 and $100,000 to bring fluoride levels to the recommended levels.

The yearly chemical costs were estimated to be about $6,000 based on 1.2 million gallons of water use per day. Those costs are expected to increase to about $9,100 with the addition of the village’s fifth well.

The change was prompted by the complaints of a local dentist, who was unhappy about the low levels of fluoride in the water.

Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Manchester, Saline, Jackson, Brighton and Howell are among the communities that add fluoride to the water supply according to a report from the village’s consultant Orchard, Hiltz and McCliment.

Brent Kolb, a local dentist, said in a post on AnnArbor.com’s community wall that residents who do not use a reverse osmosis filtration system will no longer need to take fluoride supplements.

Reverse osmosis systems filter out the fluoride, and children in households with such systems who are currently taking fluoride supplements should continue doing so.

Village officials recommend consulting with a family dentist if you have fluoride supplementation questions.

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