CDA Foundation-led effort helps state increase access to fluoridated water supplies
Thanks to efforts led by the California Dental Association Foundation to expand access to fluoridation, California now has the largest total number of residents of any other state receiving fluoridated water.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released its latest Water Fluoridation Statistics that indicate 58 percent of Californians (21.5 million) now receive fluoridated water, up from 27 percent in 2002.
“We’re delighted with the progress our state has made so far,” said Lindsey Robinson, DDS, chair of the CDA Foundation board of directors. “But we need to continue to move decisively so more Californians – especially our children – can receive the benefit of this great public health achievement.”
Before CDA spurred efforts to expand fluoridation in the late ‘90s, only 17 percent of California’s population received the benefits of fluoridated water. Progress was achieved largely by Assembly Bill 733, CDA-sponsored legislation approved in 1995 that required communities with 10,000 or more water connections to fluoridate when funding became available to do so.
The increase in the number of residents receiving fluoridated water earned California the 2009 State Fluoridation Initiative Award. The CDA Foundation and its partners spearheaded these efforts, which were recognized earlier this year by the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors.
Despite an improved state ranking of 36th for the percentage of residents receiving fluoride, California still has one of the largest U.S. cities, San Jose, that is not fluoridated.
“The CDA Foundation has and will continue to fight for the improvement of the state of oral health for California’s children through research, education, advocacy and fluoridation initiatives,” said Robinson, adding that the federal government’s Healthy People 2010 objective for fluoridation of 75 percent is a target CDA will work hard to achieve in the near future.
For more information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report visit the fluoridation section of cdc.gov. For more information on the CDA Foundation visit cdafoundation.org.