The Iowa Department of Public Health announced last week that 86 communities in Iowa received the CDC Fluoridation Award from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Kalona and Wapello were two Southeast Iowa towns on the list of Iowa communities that received the award from the CDC. According to the IDPH press release, in communities of 20,000 people, every dollar invested in water fluoridation results in $38 of savings in dental treatment costs. The CDC recommends water fluoridation as a safe, effective, and inexpensive method of preventing tooth decay at a community level.

To see the fluoridation status of Iowa counties and towns, visit IDHP’s website: www.idph.state.ia.us/hpcdp/fluoride_search.asp.