Some towns and cities are changing the fluoridation status of their drinking water. This has spurred questions. Where can you find answers? Right here!
Answers to fluoridation change questions
Alberta Health Service’s current approach to supplements is cautious – evidence shows that they greatly increase the risk of noticeable enamel fluorosis on permanent teeth; however, there may be uncommon situations where they are suitable.
Alberta Health Services has provided four resources to help health professionals conduct risk assessments and counsel patients.
The key document may be the Fluoride Supplement Decision Flow Chart for Canadian Children: 6 months – 16 years. This one-page flowchart summary distils a risk assessment and includes the Canadian Paediatric Society supplement schedule.
Before recommending supplements, a professional needs to know the fluoride level in local drinking water; this information is available from the local Public Health Office (call HealthLink 866-408-5465 to get telephone number for local public health office).
For a little more detail, it’s worth reviewing the one-page risk assessments for children:
Caries Risk Assessment for 0 – 5 year olds
Caries Risk Assessment for 6 years and older
And finally, the full 9-page package of information about fluoride professional products is available at:
http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/hp/if-hp-fluoride-product-guidelines-overview.pdf
