The Evanston Dental Caries Study

Maintaining Good Oral Health With Fluoridated Water

“…14 These beneficial effects led the cities of Newburgh, New York, and Evanston, Illinois, to fluoridate their public drinking water. 15,16 Children who consumed fluoridated water throughout their lives in Newburgh had a 58% lower rate of decayed, missing, and/or filled teeth compared to children of the same age in neighboring Kingston, New York-a community without fluoridated water. 15 Even older children of Newburgh who were not exposed to fluoridated water all of their lives had a 41-52% lower risk of dental caries compared with Kingston children of matched ages.…”

“…A similar risk reduction (57%) in dental caries was demonstrated in children from Evanston, Illinois, after just 71 to 82 months of consuming fluoridated water. 16 A 2015 Cochrane Review evaluated the effects of consuming fluoridated water in children and found a 35% decreased risk of tooth decay, fillings, and premature loss of primary teeth in children who consumed fluoridated water compared to those who did not. 17 The same review also found a 26% risk reduction in the loss of permanent teeth and 15% increase in the percentage of caries-free children in the group consuming fluoridated water.…”