Horowitz H S
J Public Health Dent. 1996;56(5 Spec No):253-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.1996.tb02448.x.
Grand Rapids, the first city in the world to implement controlled water fluoridation, has served as a model for thousands of other communities. Fluoridation is one of the greatest public health and disease-preventive measures of all time. Its advantages include effectiveness for all, ease of delivery, safety, equity, and low cost. Today, nearly 56 percent of the US population lives in fluoridated communities (62% of those on central water supplies). Previously observed caries reductions of one-half to two-thirds are no longer attainable in the United States because other fluoride methods and products have reduced the caries prevalence in all areas, thus diluting the measurement of effectiveness, and because benefits of fluoridation are dispersed in many ways to persons in nonfluoridated areas. Water fluoridation itself, however, remains as effective as it ever was among groups at high risk to dental caries. Contrary to early beliefs that stressed the importance of preeruptive fluoride exposure, fluoridation also provides an important source of topical fluoride and facilitates remineralization. Although data on effectiveness and safety are compelling, future progress of water fluoridation will be affected by economic, political, and public perception factors.
大急流城是世界上第一个实施可控水氟化的城市，一直是其他数千个社区的典范。水氟化是有史以来最伟大的公共卫生和疾病预防措施之一。其优点包括对所有人有效、易于实施、安全、公平且成本低。如今，近56%的美国人口生活在实施水氟化的社区（使用集中供水的人口中这一比例为62%）。在美国，以前观察到的龋齿减少一半到三分之二的情况已不再可能实现，因为其他氟化物方法和产品降低了所有地区的龋齿患病率，从而稀释了有效性的衡量标准，还因为水氟化的益处以多种方式惠及未实施水氟化地区的人群。然而，水氟化本身对龋齿高危人群仍然像以往一样有效。与早期强调牙齿萌出前接触氟化物重要性的观点相反，水氟化还提供了重要的局部氟化物来源，并促进再矿化。尽管关于有效性和安全性的数据很有说服力，但水氟化未来的进展将受到经济、政治和公众认知因素的影响。
