According to a joint statement by the agency of the Environmental Protection (EPA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the recommended level of fluoride in drinking water should be reduced to prevent the unpleasant dental. The 'HHS' that the current rate, from 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams of fluoride per liter of drinking water, going to 0.7 milligrams of fluoride.
Enforcement
However, this recommendation will not be immediately applicable. It must initial be published in the Federal Register, a publication that will be followed by 30 days for review made by key stakeholders and the public. This recommendation in the HHS comes from a study that found that over-consumption of fluoride during the first year of growth in teeth of children aged 8-years-under eight years can cause fluorosis of teeth.
Dental fluorosis is a condition that gives teeth or irregular veins.
The next steps
'The outline for the fluorine water must be applied on a voluntary basis by local municipalities and the state', says J. Nadine Gracia, medical officer in the office of an assistant secretary for health at HHS.
According to Gracia, the recommendations of the proposal are based on current scientific findings.
Meanwhile ...
There is no reason to panic, says Matthew Messina, a dentist in Cleveland and spokesman for the American Dental Association. Fluorosis, in its severest form, affect the tooth enamel, which gives it an opaque appearance.
However, in most cases, it will be mild or moderate. Messina explained that the recommendation of HHS may be related to excessive consumption of fluoride from other sources, such as mouthwashes and toothpastes.
At an acceptable level, fluorine is an effective way to fight against cavities.
The water fluoridation was introduced in the U.S. in 1945.
In 2008, 68% of the U.S. population had access to fluoridated water, says HHS.
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