Seven communities awarded state grants to create or maintain water

fluoridation programs
Contact: Jennifer Smith 517-241-2112
For Immediate Release: April 9, 2015
LANSING, Mich. Seven community water systems across the state are receiving state grants to
help initiate or maintain a community water fluoridation program for their residents.
Grants were awarded by the Michigan Department of Community Healths Oral Health Program.
This is the sixth year grants have been awarded, with funds coming from a donation from the Delta
Dental Foundation.
These awards demonstrate the Oral Health Programs support of fluoridation for community water
systems, MDCH Director Nick Lyon said. Dental health is essential to overall health and wellness,
and water fluoridation benefits all residents of a community through its demonstrated effectiveness in
preventing tooth decay throughout ones lifetime.
Community water fluoridation is the process of adjusting the natural fluoride concentration of a
communitys water supply to a level that is best for the prevention of dental cavities. In the United
States, community water fluoridation has been the basis for the primary prevention of dental cavities
for many years. Water fluoridation began in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1945, and for 70 years this
preventive practice has been recognized as one of the ten great achievements in public health of the
20th century.
Michigan continues to be a leader in community water fluoridation with 90 percent of our population
on community water systems having access to fluoridated drinking water. While the majority of large
community water systems do fluoridate, many systems still do not. Some have old equipment that
prohibits the continuation of an effective fluoridation program. The Fluoridation Equipment Grant
initiative allows community water systems needing new and updated fluoride equipment to apply for
funding.
MDCH Oral Health Program awarded the following seven community water systems funding for new
fluoridation equipment, with grants totaling more than $48,000:

City of Albion $6,356

City of Bangor $17,678
City of Dowagiac $2,729
City of East Jordan $5,000
City of Gladstone $5,375
City of Otsego $6,687
Village of Quincy $6,942

The community water systems went through a competitive review process and were chosen based
on top scores achieved for application criteria. The seven chosen were scored on need, population
size, evidence of fluoridation approval from their community, and inclusion of all requested
information. Between April 1, 2015 and September 15, 2015, the water systems can purchase the
requested fluoridation equipment and have the equipment installed and operational within six
months.
The Michigan Oral Health Coalition Annual Conference in June 2015 will honor and recognize these
grantees at a luncheon during the conference with a celebration of the 70th anniversary of
community water fluoridation.
For more information about community water fluoridation and the Fluoridation Equipment Grants
please visit:www.michigan.gov/oralhealth.
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