Canada
In 2022, Community Water Fluoridation in Canada: 38.8% of population fluoridated
(see map on page 10 of this 2022 government report)
In 2017, Community Water Fluoridation in Canada: 38.7% of population fluoridated
The percentage of population with fluoridated water systems by province/territory
This government map was online here
See also:
• Canadian Studies
• Canadian News articles
Government & NON-GOVERNMENT Reports & statements
2024 – NATIONAL. February 6. Systematic review of epidemiological and toxicological evidence on health effects of fluoride in drinking water. By Taher MK, Momoli F, Go J, Hagiwara S, et al. Critical Reviews in Toxicology.
2024 – NATIONAL. February 6. Updated February 6, 2024. Originally dated June 7-8, 2003. Expert panel meeting on the health effects of fluoride in drinking water: Summary report. See the pdf of report.
2022 – NATIONAL. December. The State of Community Water Fluoridation across Canada. 2022 Report. Prepared by the Office of the Chief Dental Officer of Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada. Excerpt:
Table 1: Provincial and Territorial estimates for community water fluoridation systems coverage, 2022 |
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| Province/Territory | Total Population12 | Population with fluoridated systems | Population without fluoridated systems | Percent with fluoridated systems | Percent without fluoridated systems |
| British Columbia | 5,000,879 | 75,375 | 4,925,504 | 1.5% | 98.5% |
| Alberta | 4,262,635 | 1,833,354 | 2,429,281 | 43.0% | 57.0% |
| Saskatchewan | 1,132,505 | 457,086 | 675,419 | 40.4% | 59.6% |
| Manitoba | 1,342,153 | 917,196 | 424,957 | 68.3% | 31.7% |
| Ontario | 14,223,942 | 10,415,380 | 3,808,562 | 73.2% | 26.8% |
| Quebec | 8,501,833 | 87,349 | 8,414,484 | 1.0% | 99.0% |
| New Brunswick | 775,610 | 8,585 | 767,025 | 1.1% | 98.9% |
| Nova Scotia | 969,383 | 488,160 | 481,223 | 50.4% | 49.6% |
| Prince Edward Island | 154,331 | 38,809 | 115,522 | 25.1% | 74.9% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 510,550 | 0 | 510,550 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Nunavut | 36,858 | 10,195 | 26,663 | 27.7% | 72.3% |
| Northwest Territories | 41,070 | 28,179 | 12,891 | 68.6% | 31.4% |
| Yukon | 40,232 | 0 | 40,232 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Canada | 36,991,981 | 14,359,668 | 22,632,313 | 38.8% | 61.2% |
2021 – CALGARY. December 4. Fluoride in Calgary’s Water, by the City of Calgary. Online at FAN. (Date not listed)
2021 – NATIONAL. November. Fluoridated and non-fluoridated cities and towns, compiled by Michael Dolan, editor, Fluoridation Review.
2021 – CALGARY. August – October. Alberta Health Services promotional posters for fluoridation in Calgary used in the lead-up to the vote on whether Calgary should fluoridate it’s drinking water:
Children in communities with fluoridated tap water have fewer cavities.Have your say, Calgary. October 18th.ahs.ca/oralhealth | #fluoridefacts
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Drinking tap water with fluoride means a lifetime of healthy teeth.Have your say, Calgary. October 18th.ahs.ca/oralhealth | #fluoridefacts
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Smile, Calgary! Fluoride in tap water is the easiest way to keep our community’s teeth healthy.Have your say, Calgary. October 18th.ahs.ca/oralhealth | #fluoridefacts
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Community water fluoridation protects all our teeth from decay.Have your say, Calgary. October 18th.ahs.ca/oralhealth | #fluoridefacts
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Fluoridated tap water is safe and effective.
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2021 – NATIONAL. September 2. Nutrition for healthy term infants: Recommendations from birth to six months. Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada in collaboration with the Infant Feeding Joint Working Group. Note: This statement was last modified on August 18, 2015, and online as of September 2, 2021.
2021 – NATIONAL. June 9. Pollock T, Karthikeyan S, Walker M, Werry K, St-Amand A. Trends in environmental chemical concentrations in the Canadian population: Biomonitoring data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey 2007–2017. Environment International, 155:106678.
2021 – FIRST NATIONS, INUIT. Holve S, Braun P, Irvine JD, et al. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Native American Child Health and Section on Oral Health, Canadian Paediatric Society First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Health Committee. Early Childhood Caries in Indigenous Communities. Pediatrics. 2021;147(6):e2021051481. Among the Community-Based Promotion Initiatives, “Ensure that Indigenous communities benefit from community water fluoridation and know the fluoridation level of their water supply.”
2020 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. November 4. Community Water Fluoridation Exposure: A Review of Neurological and Cognitive Effects – A 2020 Update. Rapid Response Service. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2020 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. March 16. Community Water Fluoridation Programs: Clinical Effectiveness and Safety. Rapid Response Service. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2020 – QUEBEC & ONTARIO. January 20. Regional variations in human chemical exposures in Canada: A case study using biomonitoring data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey for the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. By Valcke M, Karthikeyan S, Walker M, Gagné M, Copes R, St-Amand A., International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 225:113451. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113451. January 20.
2019 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. October 23. Community Water Fluoridation Exposure: A Review of Neurological and Cognitive Effects. CADTH Rapid Response Report: Summary with Critical Appraisal. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2019 – ONTARIO. September 30. Official complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, regarding a physician’s presentation to the City of Windsor Council on Monday, December 17, 2018. Co-authors Richard Hudon and Giles Parent ND.A.
2019 – ALBERTA. July. Statement in Opposition to Artificial Water Fluoridation. A Refutation of the CADTH Report on Community Water Fluoridation of 2019. This report was submitted to the Calgary City Council, City of Calgary Community Services, the O’Brien Institute of Public Health (OIPH), and the Calgary city clerk for official record. By Safe Water Calgary.
2019 – ALBERTA. July. Community Water Fluoridation. A report for Calgary City Council. By the O’Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary.
2019 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. February 8. Community Water Fluoridation Programs: A Health Technology Assessment — Ethical Considerations. PROSPERO RegistrationNumber: CRD42017080057. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2019 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. February 8. Community Water Fluoridation Programs: A Health Technology Assessment — Review of Dental Caries and Other Health Outcomes. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD420170. 80057. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2019 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. February 8. Community Water Fluoridation Programs: A Health Technology Assessment — Environmental Assessment. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42017080057. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2019 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. February 8. Community Water Fluoridation Programs: A Health Technology Assessment —Budget Impact Analysis. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42017080057. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2019 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. February 8. Community Water Fluoridation Programs: A Health Technology Assessment — Implementation Issues Analysis. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42017080057. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2019 – PUBLIC HEALTH ONTARIO. Review of “Fluoride exposure and thyroid function among adults living in Canada: Effect modification by iodine status,” by Public Health Ontario. This is a review of a 2018 study by Malin et al. published in Environmental International.
2019 – PUBLIC HEALTH ONTARIO. Review of “Community water fluoridation and urinary fluoride concentrations in a national sample of pregnant women in Canada,” by Public Health Ontario. This is a review of a 2018 study by Till et al. published in Environmental Health Perspectives.
2019 – PUBLIC HEALTH ONTARIO. Review of “Prenatal fluoride exposure and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children at 6–12 years of age in Mexico City,” by Public Health Ontario. This is a review of a 2018 study by Bashash et al. published in Environment International.
2018 – PUBLIC HEALTH ONTARIO. Review of “Prenatal Fluoride Exposure and Cognitive Outcomes in Children at 4 an d 6 – 1 2 Years of Age in Mexico, by Public Health Ontario. This is a review of a study by Bashash et al. published in Environmental Health Perspectives in September 2017.
2018 – PUBLIC HEALTH ONTARIO. November. Evidence review for adverse health effects of drinking optimally fluoridated water: evidence since the 2010 Health Canada fluoride document. Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario).
2018 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. September 28. Community Water Fluoridation Programs: A Health Technology Assessment Protocol. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42017080057. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2018 – ONTARIO. April. Oral Health Report Update. (This report was adapted from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit “Oral Health 2016 Report”). By Mathew Roy, Epidemiologist and Ramsey D’Souza, Manager, Epidemiology & Evaluation. Contributors: Kim Casier Oral Health Manager; Nicole Dupuis, Health Promotion Director; and Dr. Wajid Ahmed, Acting Medical Officer of Health. Windsor-Essex Health Unit.
2017-2018 – NATIONAL. Community Water Fluoridation fact sheet. Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada. Online as of February 7, 2018.
2017 – NATIONAL. The State of Community Water Fluoridation across Canada. 2017 Report. Prepared by the Public Health Capacity and Knowledge Management Unit, Quebec Region for the Office of the Chief Dental Officer of Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada.
*** See Table 3 for fluoridation statistics for each province and territory.
2017 – ONTARIO. November 15. Information Advisory on Fluoride and Sodium. Oxford County, Ontario.
2017 – ONTARIO. September. Fluoride and Oral Health. Health Canada also here.
2017 – BRITISH COLUMBIA. Halogens and Other Volatile Compounds in Surface Sample Media as Indicators of Mineralization. Part 1: Lara VMS Deposit, Vancouver Island, BC (NTS 092B13). By Heberlein D, Dunn CE, and Rice S. Geoscience BC Report 2017-11.
2017 – CANADIAN DENTAL ASSOC. The State of Oral Health in Canada, by the Canadian Dental Association (CDA). Online in February.
2017 – ALBERTA. Position statement on community water fluoridation. Alberta Health. See also statement from Alberta Health below (July 2014).
2017 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. March 27. Community Water Fluoridation: Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness. Reference List Rapid Response Report: Authors: Calvin Young and Andrea Ryce. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2016 – ONTARIO. October 9. Fluoride Facts. EatRightOntario. Note: scroll down for beginning of article. See original article
2015 – ONTARIO. December 9. Letter from Daniel Haas, DDS, PhD, FRCD(C), Dean of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, to the Ontario Association of Public Health Dentistry, acknowledging his support of community water fluoridation.
2015 – ONTARIO. January. Promoting Better Health in Your Community. The Essential Benefits of Water Fluoridation. By the Ontario Dental Assoc.
2015 – ONTARIO. January 7. Fluoride Varnish Initiative: A preventative oral health strategy. A Board of Health (Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph) report by Dawna Monk Vanwyck and Dr. Robert Hawkins.
2014 – NATIONAL. September. Position Statement on Community Water Fluoridation. By the Canadian Association of Public Health Dentistry.
2014 – ALBERTA. July 3. Alberta Health Position statement on community water fluoridation. See also statement from Alberta Health above (January 2017).
2014 – NGO – ONTARIO. June 23. Legal Arguments against Water Fluoridation, by Nadar R. Hasan (Ruby, Shiller, Chan, Hasan Barristers).
2014 – BRITISH COLUMBIA. May. BC Dental Survey of Kindergarten Children 2012 – 2013. A Provincial and Regional Analysis. Ministry of Health, Population and Public Health, Healthy Development and Women’s Health Directorate.
2014 – NATIONAL. Response to request under the Access to Information Act for reports, studies, toxicology and clinical tests pertaining to hydrofluosilicic acid in Canadian tap water. Health Canada.
2013 – ONTARIO. August 12. Position of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario on Fluoridation. Letter signed by Doris Grinspun, CEO, RNAO, to the Premier of Ontario.
2013 – NATIONAL. July 23. Toxic substances list: inorganic fluorides. Government of Canada, Environment and Natural Resources. (Online as of September 2, 2021)
2012 – ONTARIO. Water Fluoridation. RRFSS Provincial Health Indicator Report (Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System). Ontario.
2011 – INUIT. Inuit Oral Health Survey Report 2008-2009. Health Canada.
2011 – NATIONAL. April. Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is: The Future of Dental Care in Canada. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
2010 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. December 14. Fluoride Rinse Programs for School Aged Children: A Review of the Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2010 –NATIONAL. Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. Guideline Technical Document. Fluoride. Prepared by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Health and the Environment. Health Canada.
2010 – NATIONAL. Summary Report on the Findings of the Oral Health Component of the Canadian Health Measures Survey 2007–2009. Health Canada.
• Statistics on dental fluorosis.
• As of 2008, 45.1% of Canadians have access to fluoridated water (page 12).
2010 – ONTARIO. Grey Bruce Oral Health Status Report: 2005–2010. Ontario.
2009 – ONTARIO. Fluoridation Act of Ontario.
2009 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. October 5. Fluoride Tablets in Schools: Clinical Effectiveness and Safety. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2009 – NATIONAL – CADTH REPORT. May 22. Fluoridated Water for Cavity Prevention: A Review of the Clinical-Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines. Report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
2008 – AKWESASNE. St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Data Report: Fluoride. 2008. CAA Fluoride Grant: XA98279801-3.
2007 – NATIONAL. Findings and Recommendations of the Fluoride Expert Panel (January 2007). Health Canada.
2006 – ALBERTA. Assessment Report on Hydrogen Fluoride for Developing Ambient Air Quality Objectives. Prepared by Toxico-Logic Consulting Inc. for Alberta Environment. February. Funding from Alberta Environment (AENV).
1999 – PUBLIC HEALTH ONTARIO. Benefits and Risks of Water Fluoridation. An Update of the 1996 Federal-Provincial Sub-committee Report. By Dr David Locker for the Public Health Branch, Ontario Ministry of Health and the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada.
1999 – WINNIPEG. Canadian water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life: INORGANIC FLUORIDES. In: Canadian environmental quality guidelines, 1999, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Winnipeg.
1993 – NATIONAL. Inorganic Fluorides (Priority substances list assessment report). Environment Canada, Health Canada.
1979 – QUEBEC. November. Fluorides, Fluoridation and Environmental Quality (translation). Report prepared for the Quebec Minister of the Environment by the Advisory Committee on the Fluoridation of Water Supplies.
1977 – NATIONAL. Environmental Fluoride 1977. By Dyson Rose & John R. Marier. National Research Council of Canada.
1970 – ONTARIO. The Fluoridation Act.
1961 – ONTARIO. January 31. Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into and report upon the fluoridation of municipal water supplies. [Note: only the first few pages take a while to download]
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