The U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) issued its long-awaited final recommendation for the addition of fluoride to community water supplies. The 0.7 milligram/liter (mg/l) optimal fluoride level recommendation updates and replaces the 1962 PHS recommended concentration range of 0.7 to 1.2 mg/l as the “concentration that provides the best balance of protection from dental caries while limiting the risk of dental fluorosis.”
Reductions in fluoride chemical usage can result in a significant cost savings for many drinking water utilities. However, even though the new optimum fluoride level of 0.7 mg/l has been anticipated since the initial 2011 proposal, some water utilities have been limited in their ability to reduce fluoride levels to target the lower point value until finalization of the recommendation. Some utilities are also awaiting revision of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s 1995 “Engineering and Administrative Recommendations for Water Fluoridation (EARWF)” to provide additional guidance on the recommended operational parameters governing fluoride control at the new level. The EARWF has been undergoing revision and review since 2011 and is now awaiting final administrative review(s) prior to final publication, though the timeframe for finishing those reviews is uncertain.