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Transcript: Water Fluoridation: A Brief and Fluid History In 1901, Dr. Frederick McKay observed mystery staining on teeth. Around the same time, Dr. J.M. Eager also observed this phenomena. Early Beginnings Early Beginnings In the following years, Dr. McKay heard of more cases that pointed to water supply as being the culprit Moreover, Dr. McKay noted that tooth decay rates were lower in tooth areas with staining as opposed to non-stained areas In 1909 The Concept Evolves Dr. McKay convinced the Colorado State Dental Association to invite Dr. Green Vardiman Black, one of the most prominent dental researchers in the United States, to attend a convention where McKay's findings would be shown. From there, the two men began researching together and subsequently found out that there were several parts of the country where brown staining of teeth occurred, and they sought to dig deeper Breakthrough Dr. McKay and Dr. Black: Two major breakthroughs. Discovery 1: The doctors showed that spotted enamel resulted from developmental imperfections in children's teeth, and this discovery meant that city residents whose permanent teeth had calcified without developing the spots were not at risk of having their teeth go brown; on the other hand, younger children waiting for their secondary set of teeth to develop were at high risk. Discovery 2: The doctors found that teeth that had the spots were surprisingly and inexplicably resistant to decay. The two researchers were still a long way from determining the cause of staining (which was called the Colorado Brown Stain), but McKay though that there could be an ingredient in the water supply that stained the teeth. Spoiler: he was right. More Evidence For The Theory In 1923, the theory that something in the water caused the staining was propped up. Dr. McKay made the long journey over the Rocky Mountains to Oakley, Idaho, to visit a family whose kids had began to notice brown stains on their teeth, and the stains were affecting the health of their teeth Dr. McKay advised the family to change their water source: they did, and the stains began to go away. This confirmed McKay's suspicions, but he still could not figure out what was wrong with the water! The Proof! In Bauxite, Arkansas, Dr. Grover Kempf of the U.S. Public Health Service observed the same brown stains and did not know what to make of them. He was joiined by Dr. McKay, and they discovered something facinating: another town 5 miles away did not have the stains at all. Sadly, the researchers did not figure out the cause of the stains. BUT! McKay and Kempf published a report on their findings that ALCOA's chief chemist, H. V. Churchill, found out about ALCOA owned Bauxite and was very worried for their reputation. Thus, he decided to conduct his own test of the water in Bauxite utilize photospectrographic analysis, a more sophisticated technology than the type used by Dr. McKay. Churchill asked an assistant to assay the Bauxite water sample. After several days, the assistant reported a surprising piece of news: the town's water had high levels of fluoride. CHURCHILL WAS SHOCKED. "Whoever heard of fluorides in water," he said. "You have contaminated the sample. Rush another specimen." What Next? After the discovery of what caused the stains, the scientists had a lot of new issues to think about! Dr. H. Trendley Dean, the head of the Dental Hygiene Unit at the National Institute of Health, wondered how much fluoride needed to present to cause stains. Dean and his team traveled the country to compare water fluoride levels, and they figured out that fluoride levels up to 1.0 parts-per-million did not cause stains Dean then questioned whether adding fluoride to drinking water at safe amouts could help in the fight tooth against tooth decay. Soon, Dean's ideas came to fruition when the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, fluoridated its water supply as part of a research project. The results showed that the level of tooth decay for people born after the fluroide was added to the water dropped 60%. This was an outstading achievement Fluoride Today Fluoride is staple in toothpastes and drinking water supplies today. Years ago, fluoride was viewed by some as part of a plot to bring communism to the U.S., but now its value as a means of treating tooth decay is widely accepted and utilized. Fluoride Today Sources Used/Further Reading “The Story of Fluoridation.” National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/fluoride/the-story-of-fluoridation. “Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999: Fluoridation of Drinking Water to Prevent Dental Caries.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4841a1.htm. “75 Years of Community Water Fluoridation.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Jan. 2020,
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