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The Center for Disease Control has called community water fluoridation one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20^th century. This is due to its effectiveness, and low cost. In fact, the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, US Public Health Service, and World Health Organization all advocate for fluoridating community water supplies. But, we haven’t always reaped the oral-health benefits of fluoride. Actually, until recently, we haven’t even fully understood the full scope of fluoride. It wasn’t until the early 1900’s that we began studying fluoride, and incorporating it into our health toolbox.

Colorado Brown Stain

In 1901, a young dental school graduate named Frederick McKay moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado to open a dental practice. Upon his arrival, he was astounded to observe that many of the locals suffered from brown stains on their teeth. Sometimes, these stains were so dark that it appeared as if their teeth were caked in dark chocolate. After observing this, McKay frantically searched for information about the disorder causing the stains.

Teeth mottling (dental fluorosis)

McKay invited a renowned dental researcher named Dr. G.V. Black to help him get to the root of the stain affecting those in Colorado Springs. In 1909, Black accepted the invitation and arrived in Colorado. For six years, the two worked together and found that nearly 90% of children native to Colorado Springs suffered from the stain. They gave the brown stain a more technical name (tooth mottling, which was later changed to fluorosis) and were surprised to discover that mottled teeth were highly resistant to tooth decay. While they couldn’t identify a cause for tooth mottling, they noted the anti-cavity effects of the stain and moved on.

A Trip across the Rockies

McKay was ever-vigilant in his quest to solve the brown stain issue. So much so, that in 1923 he went from Colorado Springs to Oakley, Idaho to investigate a recent uptick in tooth mottling in Oakley. The parents told McKay that the stains began appearing shortly after Oakley constructed a communal water pipeline to a warm spring five miles away. After examining and finding the water to be normal, McKay advised town leaders to abandon the pipeline and use a nearby spring as their water source. The town obliged, and within a few years the brown stains disappeared.

McKay still hadn’t found the exact cause, but he isolated the source of tooth mottling.

An Arkansas Aluminum Town

McKay then travelled to Bauxite, Arkansas, a town owned by an aluminum plant called the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA). The residents of Bauxite were afflicted with mottled teeth, but nearby towns were not. McKay asked the town to conduct a study on the water, and returned to Colorado.

ALCOA’s chief chemist, H.V. Churchill, analyzed the water with more powerful tools than available to McKay when he was in Oakley. Several days after the study was conducted, Churchill found high levels of fluoride in the water at Bauxite. At first, he couldn’t believe it, and order a new sample. The second test showed the same results and compelled Churchill to write a 5 page letter to McKay.

The letter informed McKay of the fluoride findings, and Churchill urged him to test samples from Colorado Spring and Oakley for increased levels of fluoride. McKay obliged, and within months, he found the answer to the brown stain problem: increased levels of fluoride were in fact staining teeth.

National Institute of Health

After learning of McKay and Churchill’s findings, the National Institute of Health (NIH) decided to investigate water-borne fluoride, and the effects on teeth. Drs Trendley Dean and Elias Elvove first came up with a method to measure fluoride levels in water. Together, they developed a state-of-the-art method to measure fluoride levels in water with an accuracy of 0.1 parts per million (ppm). By the late 1930’s the NIH concluded that fluoride levels up to 1.0 ppm could not cause enamel fluorosis.

What about Cavity Protection?

Upon finding that miniscule amounts of fluoride would not stain teeth, the NIH went back to McKay’s writings where he observed the cavity resistance of those with the brown stain. Dean wondered whether adding fluoride to drinking water at physically and cosmetically safe levels would help fight tooth decay. This hypothesis, Dean told his colleagues, would need to be tested. In 1945, Grand Rapids Michigan voted to add fluoride to its drinking water. The 15 year study would be the first of its kind. After just 11 years, Dean announced that the cavity rate among children in Grand Rapids had dropped more than 60%. This was a major scientific breakthrough and helped revolutionize dental care.

Fluoride Today and in the Future

Today, fluoride is widely acknowledged as a way to prevent cavities. In the United States, community water fluoridation costs just over 1 dollar per person every year, which is a low price to pay for better oral health. Check online to see if your town uses a fluoridated water source. If not, we suggest buying fluoridated toothpaste to get your daily dose of cavity-preventing fluoride.

Tooth decay is the most prevalent – and preventable – disease in children, but drinking more tap water can help prevent cavities. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and this year’s theme is “Choose Tap Water for a Sparkling Smile.” National Children’s Dental Health Month is organized by the American Dental Association (ADA), and brings together dental professionals, healthcare providers and educators to promote the benefits of oral health to children. This year, learn about how tap water can help protect your child’s teeth from cavities, and lead to improved oral health.

Tap Water Protects Tooth Enamel

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that community water fluoridation is one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20^th century. Tap water contains small amounts of fluoride – which is great for teeth. Fluoride consumption is effective in preventing tooth decay by at least 25% in children and adults, according to the American Dental Association. You can also get fluoride from fluoridated toothpaste, but drinking tap water daily is a fantastic way to get a healthy dose of fluoride.

Stimulates Saliva Production

Saliva is 99% water and absolutely critical in the fight against cavities. When you are low on saliva, you will most likely experience dry mouth – a condition that makes it hard to swallow and chew because of a lack of saliva. By drinking sufficient amounts of water, you ensure that your saliva is produced at an optimal rate, and help prevent dry mouth. Saliva plays an important role in naturally cleaning teeth of food debris that can cause cavities. If you’re experiencing dry mouth, you’re more susceptible to cavities.

Clears Teeth of Sugar

After you’re done eating, food can get stuck on the surface of your teeth, or in the tight cracks between teeth. . When food debris is left on teeth, it can turn into sugar, which powers enamel-killing bacteria that cause cavities. You can prevent this by rinsing your mouth with water immediately after you eat. Simply swish water around for 30 seconds after you eat to clear your teeth of any sugary or food debris leftover from you previous meal.

Water is Calorie-free

Rising consumption in sugary beverages has been a major contributor to the increasing rate of obesity in the United States. In fact, people who consume 1 – 2 sugary beverages per day are 26% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. You can fight this by substituting colas, sugary juices and sports drinks with a glass of water. Water doesn’t have any calories, and it contains no sugar, which makes it incredibly healthy. Try reaching for water when you’re thirsty, not something full of sugar.

Encourage Your Child to Drink More Tap Water

Water is unlike any other drink, and is by far the healthiest drink available. Children should abide by the 8 X 8 rule: 8 glasses of water in 8 oz glasses per day, to get 64 oz of water every day. If you’re worried that your child may not be drinking enough water, then bring them into our office for a consultation. We will thoroughly evaluate your child’s teeth, and provide you with flexible treatment options that are right for them.

The Superbowl is equal parts football and food. For most of us, it’s a time to gather with friends and family to observe a great game, and overindulge on tasty treats. But, a lot of the big-game snacks aren’t healthy for your body or your teeth. This Superbowl, try adding these foods to the celebration for more oral health benefits.

1 – Cheese

Cheese prevents other foods from hurting your teeth as you eat it, which makes it a great Superbowl snack. It’s high in calcium, which promotes strong teeth and bones. But the benefits of cheese don’t end there. It also contains a protein called casein which strengthens tooth enamel and helps to prevent cavities. Cheese also helps prevent acid from destroying tooth enamel. We suggest buying a cheese tray with an assortment of pre-sliced cheese. Or, if you’re feeling extravagant, try your hand at making fondue.

2 – Carrots

Carrots are full of fiber and scrub plaque away as they are chewed. Carrots also stimulate saliva production, which naturally cleans teeth. In addition to cleaning teeth, carrots also contain multiple B vitamins, which fight gingivitis! Carrots make fantastic finger foods, and are easy to use as dippers. We suggest substituting carrots in place of starchy finger foods like chips, crackers and bread.

3 – Yogurt Dips

Dips are a popular Superbowl tradition, and there are countless recipes online. A good number of dips have a sour cream base, which can easily be substituted for non fat Greek yogurt. Like cheese, yogurt is high in calcium and casein, but it also contains a high amount of healthy bacteria. The healthy bacteria in yogurt helps fight the bad bacteria that can stick to your teeth and lead to cavities. Try finding a popular dip recipe like French Onion or Artichoke Dip, and replacing the sour cream with yogurt.

4 – Nuts

Finger foods are a Superbowl mainstay, but most of them – like starchy chips and crackers – are quite bad for teeth. Nuts are an incredible substitute for finger foods, and they’re great for teeth. Nuts have an incredible amount of fiber, calcium and protein, all of which benefit teeth. Fiber cleans teeth by scrubbing away plaque, and calcium and protein strengthen teeth. All of these oral benefits make nuts a better choice for your teeth than some of the other finger foods.

Don’t Forget about Water!

By incorporating some of the foods above, you can have a healthier Superbowl, but don’t forget to add water! Water is the perfect mouth-healthy drink that stimulates saliva to clean teeth, and rinses acid from the surface of teeth to help prevent decay. This Superbowl, skip the sodas and choose water instead.

Tooth decay is the most prevalent disease affecting children under the age of five, yet it is almost entirely preventable. By brushing twice per day for two minutes at a time, children can significantly reduce their chances of getting a cavity, and help themselves earn a healthy adult smile. However, it can be difficult for new brushers to enjoy brushing their teeth, and brush long enough to make a difference. So, how can you help your first time brusher learn to enjoy brushing, and help them brush better?

Use Videos

For first time brushers, it can be tough to brush for two minutes at a time. This is due to a number of things, but it mostly comes down to the fact that it’s difficult to keep young children still and focused on brushing their teeth for two minutes. You can help your child have more fun while they brush by letting them brush while watching a tooth brushing video. These educational videos help guide children through brushing their teeth, and each lasts at least two minutes. We suggest finding one that you deem appropriate for your child, and one that they will enjoy watching.

Buy a Fun Toothbrush

You can help convince your child to brush by purchasing them a fun toothbrush that they enjoy using. When looking for a new toothbrush, take your child with you and let them pick one that they find appealing. Also, make sure that the toothbrush handle can easily fit in their hand, and that the head of the toothbrush is small enough to fit into their mouth.

Try an Electric Toothbrush

An electric toothbrush is an appealing option for children just beginning to brush, since they require less dexterity and physical motion to operate. Additionally, most electric toothbrushes feature brushing timers which tell the operator how much time they have left to brush, as well as a pressure monitor which informs the brusher when they’re brushing too hard. We suggest looking for an electric toothbrush specifically made for children.

Brush Together

One great way to help first time brushers is by brushing with them. This allows you to give them specific brushing tips, as well as keep an eye on how ling they’re brushing. It can also help you get into a fun routine with your child and have a bit more time together.

New Brushers Love Our Office

If your child is just beginning to brush, then visit our office. Our team of pediatric dentists can teach them how to properly brush, and help them learn about the finer points of oral healthcare. Tooth decay almost entirely preventable, help your child get a healthy smile by getting into a healthy brushing routine.