Knowledge of the purpose of community water fluoridation--United States, 1990.

Expansion of water-fluoridation programs in the United States has been based on the clear documentation of the caries-preventive benefits of fluoride (1), as well as resources made available since the 1970s through the Fluoridation and Preventive Services Block grants administered by CDC. An estimated 135 million persons in the United States--approximately 61% of the population served by public water supplies--have access to drinking water with clinically important levels of fluoride (0.7 ppm or higher) for the prevention of dental caries (2). Efforts to expand the implementation of community water fluoridation require dissemination and understanding of information about health benefits and purported health risks. This report summarizes results from the 1990 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) regarding public knowledge of the purpose and value of fluoridation of community drinking water.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)