In 1951, the average cost of a new house in the U.S. was $9,000, gas was 19 cents a gallon and the “I Love Lucy” television show made its debut. That same year, dental health in Tennessee took an important step forward when Milan, in Gibson County, became the first city in the Volunteer State to fluoridate its water supply.
The addition of fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral proven to reduce cavities, soon improved lives in the small West Tennessee community. From 1951 to 1956, there was a 57 percent reduction in tooth decay for six-year-old children served by the Milan water system. That decrease was noted by parents, doctors and dentists, and fluoridation of community water became accepted across the state and nation as a safe, effective way to reduce cavities.
Comparisons of dental health before and after fluoridation in Tennessee showed a 75 percent decline in decay of children’s permanent teeth from the early 1950s to the late 1980s. Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, said cost-effective fluoridation to protect teeth is (continue reading)