We’re proud to have our dental office in Nashua. We’re also proud of the personal freedoms offered by New Hampshire. But as dentists we do have concerns about the lack of fluoride in Nashua’s water. Only about 47% of New Hampshire’s residents have access to fluoridated water. This puts New Hampshire at 44th place in terms of fluoridation nationally.
Research has consistently shown that fluoridated water can provide dental benefits in terms of strengthening teeth and reducing cavities. One recent example of this is Juneau, Alaska that stopped fluoridating their water in 2007. Ten years later research showed a significant increase in cavities.
There are no simple solutions to the fluoridation question, since it pits personal freedom of choice in not having fluoride added to the water against overall better dental health. The positive impact fluoride has in protecting teeth cannot be denied, but in a city like Nashua, that ranks very high in personal freedom, fluoride can’t be added if most people don’t want it.
But just because fluoride isn’t available in the drinking water doesn’t mean you should go without. If you’re concerned about your dental health due to a lack of fluoride please bring up your concerns to our dental team and we’ll work with you to find a solution that might work for you.