Issues We're Exploring

 

What the problem is: Today, 35 percent of this state’s first and third graders suffer from untreated decay and lose millions of school hours each year. And because untreated decay can lead to abscess, bone destruction, and an infection in the bloodstream, these children’s ability to eat, speak, learn, and play is at risk. Also important is the fact that children who have poor oral health are being set up for a lifetime of dental problems if the underlying problems are not addressed. 

 

The Upstream solution: Community water fluoridation, in which fluoride levels are optimally adjusted in public drinking water supplies, gives the recommended dose of cavity-fighting fluoride to anyone who drinks from that system.

 

Fluoridation is a proven low-cost and highly effective way to prevent tooth decay but Oregon lags behind all but three other states in its use. Portland also has the unfortunate distinction as the second largest metro area without community water fluoridation. As a result, 73 percent of Oregonians do not have access to fluoridated water—and Oregonian children are paying a heavy price.