Gov. Hickenlooper and CDPHE issue statement on water fluoridation in Colorado

DENVER – July 30, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Gov. John Hickenlooper and Dr. Larry Wolk, executive director and chief medical officer at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, today issued the following statement in support of water fluoridation in the state:

“The Governor’s Office and Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) recommend all Colorado communities fluoridate their public water supplies. More than 70 years of research has proven that community water fluoridation is a safe, effective and inexpensive method of improving the oral health of all Coloradans. Increasing the number of communities that voluntarily fluoridate their residents’ water can make a significant contribution to Colorado’s commitment to becoming the healthiest state in the nation.

Dental disease places a significant burden on our state. Students miss school, workers are less productive and many Coloradans suffer needlessly from preventable dental disease. Colorado communities that fluoridate their water supplies can reduce their resident’s cavities by as much as 40 percent and save them each an average of $61 per year in dental costs for an investment of just $1 to $2 per person per year.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls community water fluoridation one of the top 10 public health interventions of the 20th Century. CDPHE recommends communities fluoridate their public water supplies to 0.7 milligrams per liter.”