Fluoridation at a Glance

Beginning December 3, a glass of water a day will help prevent tooth decay in Carlsbad when the City will begin receiving fluoridated water from its water supplier, Metropolitan Water District (MWD).

MWD is adding fluoride to water delivered to all of its agencies including those serving the following North San Diego County communities: Fallbrook, Rainbow, Valley Center, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Olivenhain. Currently, MWD supplies all of Carlsbad’s water.

Fluoride is a mineral that is commonly found in many food and water products. It is also used in many consumer dental products, including toothpaste and fluoride mouthwashes.

Question Is Fluoride Safe?
Answer Community water fluoridation has been endorsed by numerous public health and professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Association of Public Health, U.S. Public Health Service and the World Health Organization.
Question How Much Fluoride Will Be Added?
Answer MWD will adjust the natural fluoride concentrations in the water, which currently ranges from 0.1 to 0.4 parts per million, to a target dose of 0.7 to 0.8 parts per million; the recommended dose for optimal dental health. For example, the 0.7 to 0.8 parts per million dose would be like adding less than three drops of fluoride to a 42-gallon barrel of water.
Question Will the Water Taste Different?
Answer Fluoride has no taste or smell.

Choices for Carlsbad Consumers

Although fluoridated water is a safe as well as healthy drinking option, Carlsbad consumers may prefer other water options, including bottled water or home water treatment systems. Currently, 70 percent of the population already drinks bottled water. Moreover, many home treatment systems remove fluoride from tap water, including those that use reverse osmosis. For a list of systems that reduce or remove fluoride, go to www/nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/.

The 411 on Fluoride

  • Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found both in surface water-water from snowmelt, rivers and streams-as well as groundwater.
  • Fluoride's benefits for teeth were discovered in the 1930s by scientists who saw extremely low tooth decay rates among people whose water supplies had a significant amount of natural fluoride.

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