Infant formula and fluoridated water – an explanation of fluoridated water for babies from Dr. Gary M. Whitford, Georgia Health Sciences University.
Transcript of fluoridated water for babies interview
There’s no mystery about fluoride working as an anti-decay agent. It’s an amazing agent and it saved billions upon billions upon billions of dollars in dental costs in this country and other countries around the world.
This has been addressed by the CDC and the ADA, and I happen to have been on both of those committees. And the question was if an infant drinks a formula with the fluoride concentration in the vicinity of fluoridated water, is there a risk of dental fluorosis. And the literature today does not allow us to say yes it presents a risk or no it does not present a risk.
The recommendation coming from the ADA, the American Dental Association, is that you should go ahead and use fluoridated water to reconstitute the infant formula. But if you are concerned about the possibility of dental fluorosis, then you can use a fluoride free water to reconstitute the formula. In the meantime, hold on to the water fluoridation for its effects on caries.
More information about infant formula for babies and fluoridated water
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a useful FAQ on Infant Formula. The Oral Health Division at CDC is also a good source for additional stats, data, and basics on the importance of fluoridated water to cavity prevention that Dr. Whitford describes.
Also see the Fluoride Science topic summary on infant formula and fluoride in water from the editorial board. The Fluoride Science editorial board reviews statistics from the American Academy of Pediatrics, several published papers, the American Dental Association’s recommendations, and a key review of 19 studies relevant to fluoridated water for babies.