OPPOSE SB 2 SB 2 by Sen. Mike Fesi would ban fl uorida Ɵ on of any public water system in Louisiana unless approved by local elec Ɵ on. This would have massive implica Ɵ ons for the dental health (and eventually overall health) of many Louisianians. Fluoride is a natural substance found in soil, water, and rocks. It is proven to prevent tooth decay (the development of dental cavi Ɵ es). Over 80 years of scien Ɵ fi c evidence show that community water fl uorida Ɵ on at the op Ɵ mal amount is a safe and e ff ec Ɵ ve way to prevent tooth decay and has played a major role in improving the public’s oral health. Most water naturally contains some fl uoride, but usually not enough to prevent cavi Ɵ es. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends 0.7 mg/L (0.7 ppm) as the op Ɵ mal concentra Ɵ on of fl uoride in water to help prevent tooth decay. Water fl uorida Ɵ on is an important public health interven Ɵ on that reduces oral health dispari Ɵ es and increases the health of the popula Ɵ on. Promo Ɵ on of its safety and e ff ec Ɵ veness is cri Ɵ cal to maintaining its widespread acceptance and ensuring its con Ɵ nued use. It is cost e ff ec Ɵ ve! According to the American Dental Associa Ɵ on (ADA), the average life Ɵ me cost per person to fl uoridate a water supply is less than the cost of just one dental fi lling. For most municipali Ɵ es, every $1 invested in water fl uorida Ɵ on saves $38 in dental treatment costs. Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases among American children with 1 of 4 children living below the federal poverty level experiencing untreated tooth decay. Untreated decay can cause pain, school absences, di ffi culty concentra Ɵ ng, and poor appearance—all contribu Ɵ ng to decreased quality of life and ability to succeed. Tooth decay and its complica Ɵ ons are preventable, and community water fl uorida Ɵ on is an early treatment op Ɵ on that is safe, e ff ec Ɵ ve, and economical.
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According CDC, community water fl uorida Ɵ on is a prac Ɵ cal, cost-e ff ec Ɵ ve, and equitable way for communi Ɵ es to improve their residents’ oral health regardless of age, educa Ɵ on, or income. to the
More than half of Louisiana’s Medicaid-eligible children have not seen a den Ɵ st, and the only fl uoride they receive is through the water they drink. Who Bene fi ts Most?
developmentally disabled children and adults who some Ɵ mes have trouble brushing their teeth, the topical fl uoride that received from drinking water is a source of protec Ɵ on.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): For FY2023, the total number of Louisiana Medicaid eligible children (age <1-20) receiving any dental services was 402,647 or 45.28%. As of February 2025, there is a total of 860,470 adults over the age of 21 enrolled in Medicaid who do not have comprehensive dental coverage.
Working Together to Keep Physicians in Patient Care Louisiana State Medical Society * Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians * LA Chapter - American Academy of Pediatrics * LA Chapter - American College of Cardiology LA Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons * Louisiana Orthopedic Association * Louisiana Osteopathic Medical Association * Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association Louisiana Society of Anesthesiologists * Louisiana Society of Interventional Pain Physicians * Medicine Louisiana * Radiological Society of Louisiana Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) - Monroe, LA * LA Chapter - American College of Emergency Physicians
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