Fluoride protects your teeth, keeping your whole body healthy. And that’s the opposite of scary.
The Benefits of Fluoride
Community water fluoridation will ensure everyone in our community can enjoy better oral health, overall health, and well-being.
Fluoride is nature’s cavity fighter, a mineral found in most lakes, rivers, and oceans. But it’s usually found at levels below what’s needed to prevent tooth decay. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel, making it more resistant to decay. Fluoride replaces minerals lost to the acid attacks that happen when we eat.
Spokane faces real oral health challenges and disparities. We have higher cavity rates than many other Washington communities. Spokane is the largest city in the state without the right balance of fluoride in the water.
All members of our community – young and old – would benefit from community water fluoridation.
Sign this letter to support community water fluoridation in Spokane.
Resources/links:
- Washington Water Fluoridation
- Centers For Disease Control
- Washington State Department of Health
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Campaign for Dental Health
- Fluoride Exposed
- FAQ + Conversation Guide (Download PDF)
- Washington Water Fluoridation Resource (Download PDF)
The above is online at http://www.betterhealthtogether.org/smile-spokane-fluoride-matters
The Smile Spokane Network believes that everyone should have the opportunity to live a healthy life.
The vision of Smile Spokane is to implement a comprehensive set of strategies working toward the common goal of reducing health disparities in Spokane County. Through a health equity lens, the Network applies the strategic framework of the Arcora Foundation (transformation, prevention, and access) into a place-based initiative.
Background of Smile Spokane
2015, a coalition of organizations representing a diverse range of sectors in our community, including philanthropy, public health, social service, dental professionals, and higher education, gathered to identify ways to address Spokane’s serious oral health problems, including the low levels of fluoride in the water.
Through this collaboration and with support from the Arcora Foundation, Smile Spokane was formed. It served as an organizing entity with strategies in place to improve oral health in Spokane, including investing in focused community education to raise awareness of the importance of oral health and the benefits of community water fluoridation.
2017, Smile Spokane evolved to become a Local Impact Network (LIN), linking committed community partners to improve oral health together. There are many organizational partners in the LIN, and each partner is attached to a key Anchor Strategy, spanning focus areas of prevention, access to care, and system transformation. The goal is to make measurable progress toward oral health equity by working to transform the oral health system in our region so everyone can enjoy better oral and overall health.
2019, Better Health Together (BHT) became the Network Manager for Smile Spokane, the Local Impact Network (LIN).
Strategies
Using a health equity lens, the LIN will work toward improving health disparities through seven anchor strategies
Our Partners
Online as of August 10, 2020:
Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington
ARCORA – Foundation of Delta Dental of Washington
Better Health Together
Big Table
CHAS Health
Communities in Schools – Spokane County
Dentist Link – powered by ARCORA Foundation
Eastern Washington University
Empire Health Foundation
Frontier Behavioral Health
Providence Health Care
SNAP – Neighbors By Your Side
Spokane County Medical Society
Spokane Regional Health District
The Mighty Mouth
The Native Project
Toothsavers of Washing
Unify Community Health – We Are Family
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