Fluoride Reintroduction Project Update
After completing significant upgrades to the Glenmore and Bearspaw Water Treatment plants, The City of Calgary is on track to re-introduce fluoride into drinking water starting mid-April. Once a specific date is available, it will be shared with the public.
In October of 2021, Council voted to follow the direction of the majority of Calgarians who voted in favour of reintroducing fluoride through the electoral ballot (62 per cent of electors voted in favour of reintroducing fluoridation into the municipal water supply.) This decision is also backed by a majority of dental and healthcare professionals globally, as well as both our Federal and Provincial government.
The City of Calgary relies on health information, data, research, and expertise from other levels of government to help inform policy. Our policy currently aligns with both Provincial and Federal recommendations.
Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality continues to recommend optimal fluoride dosing to be 0.7 mg/L and has set a maximum allowable concentration of 1.5 mg/L. Health Canada notes that fluoride may be added to the water supply to promote dental health. Due to the natural fluctuating fluoride concentrations in Calgary’s source water, the treatment plants would adjust fluoride dosing concentrations accordingly to ensure that the target concentration of 0.7 mg/L would be maintained. Health Canada, the Government of Alberta, and Alberta Health Services will not mandate fluoridation upon The City. However, these bodies do support the practice of fluoridation as a safe and effective public health measure.
Alberta Health Services’ position on fluoridation is as follows: “Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services recognize that community water fluoridation effectively prevents tooth decay, especially among people who are most vulnerable. It offers significant benefits with very low risk and reaches all residents who are connected to a municipal water supply. Therefore, Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services endorse community water fluoridation as a foundational public health measure to prevent tooth decay and improve oral health.” The Government of Alberta supports community water fluoridation as an important step for preventing tooth decay, stating “Community water fluoridation is safe. There’s fluoride in all fresh water. Community water fluoridation adjusts the fluoride level in the public water supply to prevent tooth decay. The Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality sets a safe level of fluoride in water to protect you from tooth decay.”
The City has recently updated their website with more information, including some health-related FAQs provided by Alberta Health Services. You can learn more by visiting calgary.ca/fluoride.
FAQ’s
What do health agencies say about community water fluoridation?
“Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services recognize that community water fluoridation effectively prevents tooth decay, especially among people who are most vulnerable. It offers significant benefits with very low risk and reaches all residents who are connected to a municipal water supply. Therefore, Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services endorse community water fluoridation as a foundational public health measure to prevent tooth decay and improve oral health.” | Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services
“Community water fluoridation remains a safe, cost effective and equitable public health practice and an important tool in protecting and maintaining the health and well-being of Canadians.” | Public Health Agency of Canada
If fluoride is already naturally in the water, why do we need to add more?
According to Alberta Health Services, natural fluoride levels in the water supply are found in different concentrations, and when the concentration is below the recommended level it’s not effective in preventing tooth decay. Fluoride levels commonly found in water supplies are around 0.1 to 0.4 mg/L, which are too low to prevent cavities. Community water fluoridation is a public health initiative to adjust the concentration of fluoride in drinking water supplies to reach Health Canada’s target of 0.7 mg/L, that scientific research shows to provide optimal dental benefits.
Why do we need fluoride in our water if we use toothpaste?
According to Alberta Health Services, the concentration of fluoride in water supplies recommended by Health Canada takes into account fluoride intake from multiple sources. Getting fluoride from different sources provides the best protection from tooth decay. Brushing every day with fluoride toothpaste and drinking tap water with fluoride are great ways to prevent tooth decay. There are also other sources of fluoride, such as professionally applied fluoride therapies which add extra protection.
Are there any health risks associated with water fluoridation?
No. According to Health Canada, the optimal fluoride concentration level (0.7 mg/L), provides the optimal dental benefits while minimizing any health risk including dental fluorosis, which affects the look of the tooth with small white specks. The optimal level recommended also takes into consideration the fluoride that people are getting from other sources, like fluoridated toothpaste or mouth rinse.
Is drinking fluoridated water safe for my kids? I’ve heard that children exposed to higher fluoride levels have lower IQs.
According to Alberta Health Services, fluoridated drinking water at the recommended level (0.7 mg/l) is safe for children and adults.
The Canadian Dental Association closely monitors scientific developments and remains confident in the current consensus, which is based on evidence provided by quality research, that fluoridation at optimal levels poses no risk to cognitive health, including IQ.
What happened to cavity rates when fluoride was removed from drinking water in 2011?
After Calgary stopped fluoridating water in 2011, researchers at the University of Calgary conducted a study on tooth decay from a large sample of children in Calgary and Edmonton, where fluoridation started in 1967 and remains to date.
The research confirmed the removal of fluoride from drinking water had a negative impact on children’s oral health, where a significantly higher number of cavities were found amongst Calgary children compared to Edmonton children.