Grant: Project Grant

Oral health is a very important public health issue. Oral health problems are common. People with oral health problems may have trouble eating, speaking, and interacting with others. Pain and infection from oral disease can cause physical discomfort. Many oral health problems are preventable. One option for prevention is appropriate exposure to fluoride, including via community water fluoridation. Fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride to a public drinking water supply to prevent tooth decay. When it comes to research on fluoridation and oral health, there are some important knowledge gaps. First, much of the evidence is out of date. In a recent systematic review, most of the studies were published before 1975, and there have been important changes since then. Second, almost all research focuses on children, with limited attention to other population groups. In Alberta, we have a unique opportunity to address these limitations. First, we will examine the association between community water fluoridation and children's tooth decay. We will take advantage of the research opportunity provided by Calgary's decision to stop fluoridation in 2011. In previous work, we studied children's dental caries in Calgary 2-3 years after fluoridation was stopped, and compared it to Edmonton where fluoridation continues. We will build on that earlier work by 1) conducting a longer-term follow up (7-8 years after fluoridation was stopped), and 2) conducting an economic analysis, to understand whether or not the benefits of fluoridation are greater than the costs. Second, we will expand our work to consider another population: seniors living in long term care facilities. Seniors in long term care facilities are vulnerable to poor oral health, but they have not been well studied. We have an established research team that includes experienced university researchers and dental public health decision-makers.