Examination of the value of community water fluoridation

Abstract

Millions worldwide are affected by dental caries, which impacts the global economy and public health. Robust evidence demonstrates that water fluoridation prevents dental caries. However, there is evidence that high doses of fluoride can cause negative side effects. A literature review was conducted further to support reported evidence of the advantages of adopting water fluoridation at the community level. The economic evaluation of community water fluoridation highlighted the local cost savings by comparing it with the cost of disease prevention. Cumulative data revealed that dental issues prevention and economic benefits were highlighted in 38.6% of the research reported in the literature. The Pearson's chi-square test with Yates' continuity correction between economic benefits of fluoridation and dental issues helped identify the association between the two variables. The p-value of 0.0378 and X-squared=4.3141 show a strong correlation between dental issues in current research and demonstrate how curbing issues with increased community fluoridation can be economically beneficial. The review justifies findings that community water fluoridation can avert direct and indirect costs and help reduce dental ailments. The study further presents support for the finding that the return on investment regarding community water fluoridation depends on several factors including the size of the community, factors effecting health equality, and proper management and regulation of the fluoridation process. This study had limitations owing to the fact that the data being utilized from published reports came primarily from developed countries, resulting in a risk of cultural bias and lacking generalizability