Abstract
It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to support optimal systemic
and topical fluoride as an important public health measure to promote oral health
and overall health throughout life. Fluoride is an important element in the mineralization
of bone and teeth. The proper use of topical and systemic fluoride has resulted in
major reductions in dental caries and its associated disability. Dental caries remains
the most prevalent chronic disease in children and affects all age groups of the population.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has named fluoridation of water as
one of the 10 most important public health measures of the 21st century. Currently,
>72% of the US population that is served by community water systems benefits from
water fluoridation. However, only 27 states provide fluoridated water to more than
three quarters of the state's residents on public water systems. Fluoride also plays
a role in bone health. However, at this time, use of high doses of fluoride for osteoporosis
prevention is considered experimental only. Dietetics practitioners should routinely
monitor and promote the use of fluorides for all age groups.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 28, 2012
Identification
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© 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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- ErratumJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsVol. 113Issue 4
- PreviewTwo errors have been identified in the “Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Impact of Fluoride on Health” that was published in the September 2012 issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. On page 1443, the first sentence below “Physiology of Fluoride in the Body” originally read, “Typically, about 80% of dietary calcium is absorbed.” The corrected sentence should read as follows: “Typically, about 80-90% of dietary fluoride is absorbed.” In the Table on page 1444, the column labeled “Reference weights g (lb)” should correctly be labeled “Reference weights kg (lb).”
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