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[Narrator:] This is Grand Rapids, Michigan, a town becoming widely known to dentists
and municipal authorities...against tooth decay.
The children in Grand Rapids have less tooth decay than they did six years ago,
as much as 65 percent less.
Grand Rapids' fight against tooth decay started in January 1945,
when fluoride was added to the water supply.
This was done as part of a study to determine the effect of fluoridation on tooth decay.
Participating in the study are city officials, dentists, Michigan State Department of Health,
University of Michigan, and the U.S. Public Health Service.
After six years of fluoridation, the study shows that the six-year-old children who drank the water
from birth had 65 percent less tooth decay, the seven-year-olds, 45 percent less, and so on.
Even the 16-year olds who started drinking the water when they were 10 years old
received some benefits; 16 percent less tooth decay.
Sixteen years after fluoridation all children, 16 years old and under,
will have 65 percent less tooth decay.
Studies in Newburgh, New York; Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Marshall, Texas; Lewiston, Idaho;
Brantford, Ontario, and other cities, show substantially the same results
as those obtained at Grand Rapids.
Other studies show the benefits of fluoridation will last throughout life.
Most of the many communities now fluoridating add sodium silico-fluoride
or sodium fluoride to their water.
Another compound also used is hydrofluosilicic acid. All three are effective and cheap.
In a town of 5,000 population, the daily amount of the fluoride compound used and its cost is:
Sodium silico-fluoride, seven pounds, cost 49 cents.
Sodium chloride, 10 pounds, cost one dollar, 20 cents.
Hydrofluosilicic acid, about two gallons, one dollar, sixty-one cents.
In selecting one of the three compounds, the size of the town and its water plant facilities are considered.
Three types of feeders are used to add fluoride compounds.
One is the solution feeder, used in towns up to about 20,000 population.
Another type is the volumetric feeder; a dry feeder for towns of from 1,000 to 120,000.
The third type is the gravimetric feeder, for feeding the dry compound in cities of more than 120,000.
All three feeders--the solution feeder, the volumetric feeder and the gravimetric--
are equipped with automatic controls and have long been used
for adding chemicals to city water supplies.
Generally, the fluoride content of the water is determined by the color metric test.
In this test, a color indicator is added to water samples.
The color of the samples is then matched with the color of standards
containing known amounts of fluoride.
Dentists in many cities are helping to bring the benefits of fluoridation to children.
Now, our children can have better health through fluoridated water.
They can drink away tomorrow's tooth decay, have more attractive teeth.
The cost is about ten cents a year per person.
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Fluoridation is endorsed by the American Dental Association,
state and territorial dental health directors, American Association of Public Health Dentists,
Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency,
state and territorial health officers, American Public Health Association,
and the American Medical Association.
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