Fluoride in Utah
Fluoride helps protect your teeth.
Do you need fluoride?
Your body needs some fluoride for healthy teeth, but not too much. Everyone’s situation is different. The amount that’s right for you depends on:
- Your age.
- Your overall health.
- The amount of fluoride in your drinking water.
- Your dental history and needs.
How does fluoride work?
The benefits of fluoride:
✔ Strengthens tooth enamel and prevents tooth decay.
✔ Keeps the bones around your teeth strong and healthy.
✔ Reverses early signs of cavities. Fluoride helps rebuild (remineralize) weakened tooth enamel.
✔ Protects teeth across all ages, especially during childhood when permanent teeth form. Fluoride helps baby teeth form strong enamel, even before teeth break through the gums (erupt).
The risks of too much fluoride:
✗ High levels of fluoride over long periods of time may cause:
How do you know how much natural fluoride is in your drinking water?
Call your local water district or city to ask what the natural fluoride levels are in your drinking water. Local water districts are the best and most accurate source of data on fluoride levels in your drinking water. Healthcare providers need this information so they can tell you what fluoride supplements will work best.
Visit the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) drinking water system webpage to see which local water district serves your house.
- Enter your street address and ZIP code.
- Click the “Submit” button.
- A report will be shown that lists the name and contact information for your water district. These reports are only available for public water sources.
What if you have a private well?
Should you use fluoride toothpaste?
All toothpaste helps remove plaque or bacteria from your teeth. Plaque is what causes cavities, gum disease, and tooth decay. Toothpaste with fluoride helps remove plaque and makes tooth enamel stronger. Most toothpaste sold in the U.S. has fluoride in it.
- Start to brush your baby’s teeth as soon as they break through the gums.
- For children younger than 3, use a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste to brush their teeth—about the size of a grain of rice.
- For children 3 to 6 years of age, use a small amount of fluoride toothpaste—about the size of a pea.
- Help your child brush their teeth 2 times a day, in the morning and before bed.
Do you need a fluoride varnish?
A dentist or doctor may apply fluoride varnish directly on your teeth (called a topical fluoride application).
- Children age 6 months and older should have fluoride varnish applied to their teeth 2 to 4 times a year.
- Fluoride varnish is a quick, painless, and effective way to help prevent cavities in children and adults.
Do you need a fluoride supplement?
Fluoride supplements (also called dietary fluoride supplements) help prevent tooth decay. They come in pills, tablets, drops, or lozenges. You must have a prescription for fluoride supplements. Children who take fluoride supplements will take them every day.
Most people in Utah live in an area where there isn’t enough natural fluoride in the water to protect their teeth.
- Parents of children age 6 months to 16 years who live in areas with less than 0.6 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of fluoride in the water should talk to a dentist, healthcare provider, or pharmacist to help you decide if your child should take a fluoride supplement.
- Adults may need fluoride supplements if they are at high risk of tooth decay or have certain bone diseases.
How much do fluoride treatments cost?
It depends on the type of fluoride supplement or treatment. Most dental or health insurance plans help pay for these.
- Utah Medicaid reimburses the cost of fluoride varnish up to 4 times each year for children younger than 5 years as part of a well-child exam (can be applied by a doctor) or at a dental check-up (by a dentist).
- Utah Medicaid also reimburses the cost of fluoride varnish up to 4 times each year for children 5 years and older and adults, but only when applied by a dentist, not a doctor.
Fluoride supplements may cost as little as $4 a month. Some fluoride treatments are given at a dentist’s office and costs usually start around $25. Ask a pharmacist or dentist if there are any coupons or discounts to help cover the cost.
