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Water Fluoridation

The Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta has called fluoridation of drinking water to prevent tooth decay one of public health’s 10 greatest achievements in the 20th century. To learn more about water fluoridation, please visit health facts on the health unit's website and look for water fluoridation. 

In Muskoka District, Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Bala, Port Carling, Baysville and MacTier all have fluoride added to their public drinking water supply. It is estimated that 51% of the population in Muskoka District have access to fluoridated drinking water.  However, Tottenham and Base Borden, with approximately 1% of the population, are the only fluoridated communities in Simcoe County.  These estimates are based on data from the Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS). 

The majority of Simcoe Muskoka residents support adding fluoride to public drinking water when the natural amount is too low to help prevent tooth decay. In 2011, 56% (52.3%, 59.1%) of Simcoe Muskoka adults (18+) supported community water fluoridation and 25% (22.4%, 28.3%) were opposed to this. A large portion of Simcoe Muskoka residents (19% (16.4%, 21.9%)) were undecided on the issue of community water fluoridation. Support for community water fluoridation among Simcoe Muskoka residents did not change between 2009 and 2011 (see figure 1). Support for community water fluoridation in Simcoe Muskoka is also consistent with the overall provincial estimates (see the RRFSS Provincial Report on Water Fluoridation).

Figure 1

Figure 2 compares the oral health status of children in 30 of Ontario’s 36 health units to the percentage of the population with fluoridated municipal water. This figure shows that as the percentage of people in a health unit with fluoridated water increases, the average number of decayed, missing or filled teeth decreases.  This is a statistically significant relationship however there may be other contributing factors that are also related to increases in decay rates.  The data in this table are from the Ontario Association for Public Health Dentistry (OAPHD) report.

Figure 2