About 56% of Arizonans drink fluoridated water
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About 56% of Arizonans were served by fluoridated community water systems as of 2022 — below the national average of 63%, per the latest CDC estimates.
Why it matters: Fluoridation is once again becoming a political flashpoint, with Utah and Florida recently moving to ban the practice — a step encouraged by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Zoom in: The Valley's most populous cities — including Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale and Chandler — add fluoride to their water supplies to meet the public health guidance of 0.7 milligrams per liter to prevent cavities.
- Most other Arizona cities, including Tucson and Flagstaff, do not add fluoride.
- Some parts of the state have naturally occurring fluoride levels that meet or exceed the guidance.
The big picture: Dental and public health experts have long argued in favor of community fluoridation, wherein fluoride is added to public water supplies to help prevent tooth decay.
- "The facts are that it's an enormous public health innovation and achievement over the past century in reducing dental disease, especially in children and especially in populations that don't have access to regular dental care," Diana Winters, deputy director at the Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy at UCLA School of Law, told Axios late last year.
Yes, but: Fluoridation has long been controversial among detractors who view it as a form of government making a personal health choice.