Flourish - eMag - Mar 25 - Flipbook - Page 12
WHAT IS
WATER
FLUORIDATION?
Water 昀氀uoridation
is the process of adding 昀氀uoride to drinking water to
strengthen teeth and protect against decay. While some
communities naturally have 昀氀uoride in their water supply,
it’s often adjusted to reach the recommended levels for
dental health.
Drinking 昀氀uoridated water bene昀椀ts people of
all ages and has been shown to reduce tooth
decay by up to 25% across the population.
Children who grow up drinking
昀氀uoridated water are also less likely to
experience cavities as adults.
The optimal 昀氀uoride level in drinking
water is between 0.6 and 1.1
milligrams per litre (mg/L), also
known as parts per million (ppm).
Australia
昀椀rst introduced water
昀氀uoridation in 1953 in
Beacons昀椀eld, Tasmania,
following its successful
debut in America in 1945.
Today, around 90% of
Australians have access to
昀氀uoridated water, making
it one of the country’s most
signi昀椀cant public health
measures.
