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www.adha.org
August 10, 2015
The City of Port Angeles
Port Angeles City Council
321 East 5th Street
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Dear Port Angeles City Council:
The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) encourages the
Port Angeles City Council to continue fluoridating their water at
optimum levels. Fluoridating at optimum levels to reduce tooth decay
is supported by a large number of state and federal agencies like the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The ADHA is the largest national organization representing the
professional interests of more than 185,000 dental hygienists across
the country. ADHA has a longstanding policy in support of water
fluoridation as a safe and effective method for reducing the incidence
of dental caries. ADHA supports the education of the public and other
health professionals regarding the preventive and therapeutic benefits
of fluoride.
A CDC report, "Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999: Fluoridation
of Drinking Water to Prevent Dental Caries," shows that between 1966
and 1994 — a period when roughly 70 million Americans gained access
to fluoridated water — the average number of decayed, filled or
missing teeth among 12-year-olds fell 68 percent.
In April 2015, the HHS announced the final Public Health Service
recommendations for the optimal fluoride level in drinking water to
prevent tooth decay. The recommendation has been set at 0.7 mg/I.
For nearly 70 years the public has benefited from improved overall
dental health by adding fluoride to community drinking water. On
behalf of the ADHA, I am writing to encourage the Port Angeles City
Council to continue fluoridating at optimum levels, as the city has done
since 2006.
Should you have any questions or if you require any additional
information regarding ADHA's support of water fluoridation, please feel
free to contact ADHA Director of Governmental Affairs Ann Lynch by
phone at 312-440-8900 or via email at AnnL @adha.net.
Sincerely,
Jill Rethman, RDH, BA
President, American Dental Hygienists' Association
cc: Betty Kabel, RDH, BS, President-Elect, ADHA
Lancette VanGuilder, RDH, District XII Trustee, ADHA
Ann Battrell, MSDH, Executive Director, ADHA
Marilynn Rothen, RDH, MS, President, WA-DHA
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