Agencies
Services
Water Fluoridation in Illinois
Community water fluoridation has been required under Illinois law since 1967 and is a major reason for the decline in prevalence and severity of tooth decay in Illinois and the rest of the country during the second half of the 20th century. In fact, the CDC has named fluoridation of drinking water one of 10 great public health interventions of the 20th Century due to the sharp decline in cavities since community water fluoridation became common place.
Maintaining community water fluoridation at the optimal level has been demonstrated as the most efficient and cost-effective way to deliver fluoride to everyone in a community, regardless of age, income, or education. Drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and gums healthy and reduces tooth decay by about 25% in children and adults, according to studies cited in this CDC Statement on the safety and health benefits of community water fluoridation.
Community water fluoridation has been shown to be particularly important when it comes to addressing oral health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups as documented in various studies, including this that evaluated the impact of the cessation of community water fluoridation.
The Illinois Fluoridation Statute, enacted by the legislature in 1967, required the state’s community water systems to adjust fluoride levels to optimal levels, which at the time was 0.9 to 1.2 parts per million. The law was amended in 2016 requiring all community water systems to adjust their fluoride to 0.7 parts per million. This was based on the updated analysis of the amount of fluoride received from all sources, including toothpaste and mouth rinses.
Our current data shows that 1,658 of 1,842 community water systems fluoridate. There are a several reasons why some are not required to do so, including that they have naturally occurring levels within the optimal safe range, serve a small population or are privately owned.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois EPA work together to implement and enforce the fluoridation law. IDPH’s Oral Health Section monitors community water systems by collecting data monthly from each of them and provides education and technical expertise to the water system operators to keep fluoride levels within an optimal range. The Illinois EPA is responsible for enforcement of state regulations.
The Illinois Department of Public Health supports evidence-based policies that improve the health and wellness of our residents. The effectiveness, safety, and practicality of fluoridation at the optimal level has been established by decades of careful scientific study and research. Fluoridation has the support of virtually every leading health and scientific organization. Fluoride has not been found to be toxic at the concentration recommended by the United States Public Health Service (PHS) for fluoridation of water systems. In fact, research has confirmed that fluoride is an important trace element in human nutrition and is a natural part of the human environment, present in the soil and rocks, seawater, groundwater, plants, and in human and animal bones and teeth.
