Research that took other factors into effect, such as body weight, smoking or estrogen use, showed no difference in the rate of fractures in communities with and without fluoridated water. The overall study by the journal showed that fluoridation programs decrease tooth decay by about 15 percent. That's a decrease from American studies in the 1950s, when the number was closer to 50 percent. The percentage has decreased for several reasons, supporters say. Toothpastes with fluoride are available all over the country.
People eat foods processed with fluoride and drink bottled water treated with fluoride.
And the population is more mobile, meaning that people move freely between fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas, clouding the results. The greatest beneficiaries of fluoridation are low-income residents who can't afford dental care, studies show. But fluoridation opponents cite fringe studies they say dispute the claim that fluoride works at all, and label the chemical a health hazard. Abilene City Hall has 150 reports on file that the anti-fluoride group turned in as a public record. They insist that fluoride causes more health problems than it prevents.