December 9, 2013
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have published the water fluoridation statistics from 2012. According to the statistics, nearly 75% of the American population – nearly 211 million people – had access to “optimally fluoridated water” in 2012. The target, says the CDC, is to get that number up to 79.6%. Despite the controversy over adding fluoride to community water sources, “evidence shows that the prevalence of tooth decay is substantially lower in communities with water fluoridation,” says Linda S. Orgain, MPH, Health Communications Specialist at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
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The state with the highest percentage of people receiving fluoride through their drinking water is Georgia, at 99.9%. The lowest is Hawaii, at 10.8%. The top and bottom five continue as so:
49. New Jersey – 14.6%
48. Oregon – 22.6%
47. Montana – 32%
46. Idaho – 36.1%
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5. North Dakota – 96.7%
4. Maryland – 97.2%
3. Illinois – 98.5%
2. Minnesota – 98.8%
To see the full list of where each state ranks, go to cdc.gov/fluoridation.
Lauren Burns is the editor of Proofs magazine and the email newsletters RDH Graduate and Proofs. She is currently based out of New York City. Follow her on Twitter: @ellekeid.
