Cost Effectiveness

Includes general information on the cost effectiveness of community water fluoridation and a review of the cost difference in pediatric dental treatment for fluoridated and nonfluoridated communities in Louisiana.

An Economic Evaluation of Community Water Fluoridation. (PDF 1.0Mb)
Griffin SO, Jones K, Tomar SL. J Publ Health Dent 2001;61(2):78–86. An analysis of the most current data available on the effectiveness and costs of water fluoridation.  The study compares average per person cost of community water fluoridation with the cost of prevented disease.  This study:

  • Demonstrates that fluoridation not only is cost-effective, but also is cost saving, which is rare for public health interventions.
  • Shows that the reduction in costs of fillings (dental restorations) greatly exceeds the cost of water fluoridation in communities of any size.
  • Illustrates the annual per person water fluoridation costs for communities of various sizes.
  • Determines an average cost savings, which ranges from $15.95 per person per year in a small community to $18.62 per person per year in a larger community.

Cost Savings of Community Water Fluoridation
Studies continue to show that widespread community water fluoridation prevents cavities and saves money, both for families and the health care system.

Water Fluoridation and Costs of Medicaid Treatment for Dental Decay—Louisiana, 1995–1996
MMWR, September 3, 1999;48(34):753–757.
Findings suggest that Medicaid-eligible children in communities without community water fluoridation had an increased cost for dental treatment per child that was twice as high as those children living in fluoridated communities.

This information was obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at: http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/benefits.htm#3.