Healthy Cass County as part of their Cass County Community Health Improvement Plan has a goal to provide fluoridated water at the recommended levels in all Cass County communities by 2021. What is the buzz about water fluoridation, anyway, you might ask? Water fluoridation is the adjustment of fluoride in drinking water to the level that is effective for preventing tooth decay. It has been named by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the twentieth century, and over 70 years of research show it is safe and effective.  Today, fluoridation is still the most cost-effective way to prevent dental cavities in Cass County residents. The CDC states that for every $1 invested in fluoridation there is an average of $38 savings in dental care. Water fluoridation is beneficial for reducing and controlling tooth decay and promoting oral health across the lifespan.

Evidence shows that water fluoridation prevents tooth decay by providing frequent and consistent contact with low levels of fluoride, ultimately reducing tooth decay by 25% in children and adults. Of children 6-12 years old screened in Cass County, 30% showed signs of untreated tooth decay, surpassing the state average by a landslide. Despite these facts, some Iowa communities are deciding to discontinue, or have never offered, this public health benefit to their residents. In the last few years, systematic reviews of community water fluoridation studies have all reinforced the safety and efficacy of fluoridation in preventing dental decay in both children and adults. The overwhelming majority of the world’s health care organizations and leaders within the scientific community firmly support the practice of community water fluoridation and continue to encourage community leaders to fluoridate local water systems at concentrations recommended by the CDC as an economical, safe and effective means to control the major public health problem of dental caries.

The optimum fluoride level for the prevention of tooth decay, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is 0.7 mg/L. Water that has a natural fluoride level of less than 0.6 mg/L shows no scientific evidence to be sufficient for the prevention of tooth decay. Currently only two of our Cass County communities are fluoridating their water systems.