Water Fluoridation | National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Skip to main content An official website of the United States government Here’s how you know Here’s how you know Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( LockA locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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It has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. Water fluoridation protects teeth in two ways: When delivered through the water supply to children during the tooth forming years. Through direct contact with teeth throughout life. Hundreds of millions of Americans now receive fluoride through their community water. For additional information, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Community Water Fluoridation web pageYou are leaving the NIH website. NIH does not endorse non-federal websites and cannot attest to their accuracy. You will be subject to the destination site’s privacy policy when you follow the link.. Also see CDC's water fluoridation statistics pageYou are leaving the NIH website. NIH does not endorse non-federal websites and cannot attest to their accuracy. You will be subject to the destination site’s privacy policy when you follow the link. 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