Recent research by researchers from the University of North Carolina, Australia and the University of Adelaide in Australia has shown that fluoridated water can be beneficial to many more people than was previously believed.
The March study was published and is the first of its kind. The study shows that fluoridated water can lower the risk of tooth decay in adults regardless of age or previous fluoridated water consumption.
Data were collected from 3,779 adults aged 15-plus. Researchers looked at levels of decay and also considered fluoride in community water supplies. Researchers were then able determine how much fluoride each participant was exposed to over their lifetime.
These results revealed that people who lived in fluoridated communities for 75 percent of their lives had significantly less tooth decay than those who lived in them for less than 25 percent.
Fluoridated water was once thought to be only for children. This study adds an additional dimension to the dental health benefits that fluoridation can bring for adults.