Fluoridation
Fluoridation is the process of adding the chemical fluoride to a substance (often drinking water) to reduce tooth decay. In the human body, fluoride acts to prevent tooth decay by strengthening tooth enamel and inhibiting the growth of plaque-forming bacteria. Fluoridation was first introduced into the United States in the 1940s in an attempt to study its effect on the reduction of tooth decay. Since then many cities have added fluoride to their water supply systems.
Early fluoridation studies
In 1901, Frederick McKay (1874–1959), a dentist in Colorado Springs, Colorado, noticed that many of his patients...
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