Abstract

In the city of Antigo, Wisconsin, fluoridation of the public water supplies was initiated in 1949. ·It was discontinued in November 1960, and reinstituted in October 1965, A striking increase in the rate of deaths from heart disease occurred. in Antigo hnmediately following the introduction of fluoridation in 1949 and following its resumption in 1965. This trend was also evident when the death rates from heart disease in Antigo were compared with those of the United States as a whole. Among older individuals, the rise in mortality after initiation of fluoridation was much higher than among younger people.