Windsor-Essex County Health Unit BOD's statement on fluoridation

Community Water Fluoridation (CWF) Statement

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s Board of Directors recommends that the Province of Ontario amend the regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The proposed amendment would require community water fluoridation for all municipal water systems, when source-water levels are below 0.7 mg/L, the Health Canada recommended level for optimal dental benefit (i.e., prevention of tooth decay).

Community water fluoridation promotes good oral health; the relationship between poor oral health and poor physical and mental health is clear.
Community water fluoridation is essential to minimize tooth decay and help restore and strengthen tooth enamel.
Community water fluoridation is recognized as the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay.
Community water fluoridation is about equity. It is the most economical way to benefit all residents in the community no matter their income level, education, or employment status.
Research has shown declines in tooth decay where community water fluoridation has been introduced.
When fluoride is added to the water at the recommended levels, studies have shown there is no link to negative health outcomes.
Fluorosis (a cosmetic alteration of the appearance of the tooth enamel) is associated only with areas that have exceeded the recommended concentration of fluoride in the drinking water.
For every $1 of spending on community water fluoridation, $38 is saved in future dental treatment.

Recent CWF Position Statements

Global Health experts (e.g., World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, Health Canada) and scientific evidence support community water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay. The Canadian Dental Association, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association are three of many Canadian health agencies which support for community water fluoridation.