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Colorado Springs Dental Society Position Statements
On This Page
 Fluoride
Soft Drinks in our Schools
Dental Amalgam
Tobacco Usage & Effects
Dental X-Rays
The American Dental Association, The Colorado Dental Association, and the Colorado Springs Dental Society will from time to time issue a
consensus statement regarding issues affecting the general public and the profession. The representative leadership of the tripartite
organizations agree in principle to further the goals, scientific findings, and views stated in the position statements.
Position statements in this section have been adapted from either the American Dental Association or the Colorado Dental Association, unless
specifically indicated as a position issued by the Board of Directors of the Colorado Springs Dental Association regarding a local community matter.
Colorado Springs Dental Society's Position Statement
Residents of the Colorado Springs area have benefited over the years from naturally occurring fluoride in the drinking water which hardens tooth
enamel and increases caries resistance. The Colorado Springs water department recently took steps to mix the mountain sources of the community
water supply with well and piped-in water, to decrease the fluoride content below 2 parts per million (currently no greater than 1.56 ppm).
However, with the rapid growth of our community and the high demand for water, many of the new water sources do not contain adequate fluoridation,
some as low as 0.14 ppm. resulting in many of our newer neighborhoods not having adequate fluoridation for cavity protection. It is the position
of the Colorado Springs Dental Society that the Colorado Springs Water Department and surrounding communities continue to investigate and develop
the means to further mix the water sources or to add fluoride in order to bring the fluoridation levels of all public drinking water to the
optimum levels of 0.7 - 1.2 parts per million. Click on the map icon to see a large Colorado Springs map that tells you the fluoride content in
your area. Please be patient, the map will take approximately 30 seconds to load. When you have finished viewing the map, click on
your browser's back button to return.
Colorado Dental Association's Position Statement
- From a public health perspective, to improve the oral health of the people of Colorado the first important step is to fluoridate those public water systems that are as yet non-fluoridated.
- Fluoridation of community water supplies is the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay and improve oral health for a lifetime.
- The health and economic benefits of water fluoridation accrue to individuals of all ages and socioeconomic groups, especially poor children.
- Routine consumption of fluoridated water and proper use of fluoride products is not harmful. The only time there is a risk of getting too much fluoride is when fluoride products are misused, as in swallowing fluoride toothpaste or mouth rinses , in appropriate use of fluoride supplements, or drinking water with excessive amounts of fluoride.
- Dental fluorosis is a cosmetic effect and is not considered to be harmful to health. Fluorosis can be prevented through the appropriate use of fluoride-containing products.
- Children should take dietary fluoride supplements only when the home water supply is known to be deficient in fluoride. Children under the age of six should be supervised when using fluoride toothpastes and mouth rinses.
- Studies over the past 50 years have repeatedly confirmed the safety of water fluoridation at optimal levels (0.7 - 1.2 parts per million) and its effectiveness in preventing dental decay.
- There is no cancer risk associated with drinking fluoridated water. A recent U.S. Public Health Service analysis concluded that "optimal fluoridation of drinking water does not pose a detectable cancer risk to humans."
- The CDA encourages further investigation in the area. However, the CDA believes that is unwarranted and unwise to draw conclusions from the present research [regarding health risks] or to alter public health policy with regard to fluoride based on such limited findings. The CDA's view is supported by the American Dental Association and many major health organizations and researchers.
Colorado Springs Dental Society's Position Statement
The Colorado Springs Dental Society recognizes the increasing demands and financial constraints school district boards and administrators are
face with in coping with the budgeting process. However, it is the position of the CSDS that schools seek other means of financing other than soft
drink sales and promotions.
- Soft drinks have very little to no nutritional value. They are high in sugar or artificial sweeteners, artificial flavorings, colorants, phosphates, and often caffeine.
- Sugar in an average can of a soft drink approaches nine teaspoons of sugar. Sugar contributes to decay in teeth. The longer, or more frequently, the teeth are exposed to sugar the greater the risk of resulting caries.
- Acids in soft drinks create an acidic environment in the mouth which may weaken tooth enamel and make teeth more susceptible to caries.
- Consumption of soft drinks should not be encouraged in the schools. Rather, good nutritional habits and examples for a healthy lifestyle should be the goal in our community's schools.
Colorado Dental Association's Position on Replacement of Amalgam Restorations
Background Statement
Dental amalgam has been used as a restorative material for over 150 years and is considered by the established scientific community to be safe,
durable and affordable.
Amalgam has been extensively reviewed, most recently by the U.S. Public Health Service, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes
of Health, the National Institutes of Dental Research and Consumer Reports [and most recently, 1999 the World Health Organization]. The common
find in these reviews is that there is not scientific evidence that exposure to mercury from amalgam restorations poses a serious health risk to
the general population.
Stories of miracle cures caused by the removal of amalgam restorations are not supported by scientific study and remain anecdotal in nature.
There are more than 200 million amalgam restoration placed each year and only a small number of individuals have even been found to be allergic or
hypersensitive to its contents. There are less than 100 documented cases of such allergic or hypersensitivity reactions to amalgam.
The suggestion that the dental profession has something to hide and that its position concerning dental amalgam is being driven by some
self-serving purpose is entirely unfounded. Indeed the widespread replacement of dental amalgam would be a great economic benefit to the profession.
Our concern remains focuses solely on the fact that there is no substantive evidence that dental amalgam is the source of significant health problems
in the general population.
The dental and scientific community continue to conduct research in this area including the evaluation of alternative safe and effective
restorative materials.
CDA Recommended Guidelines to Members
The following guidelines for members of the Colorado Dental Association are intended to address the issue of amalgam restoration in relation to
medical indications and not in relation to replacement for reasons of esthetics of serviceability.
- No dentist shall remove otherwise serviceable amalgam restorations for a non-allergic patient based for the sole purpose of curing a systemic disorder based on a dentist's recommendation.
- The dentist who removes amalgam based on a request from a patient or a patient's physician is not acting improperly, provided that the patient's informed consent is obtained.
- A dentist who decides not to comply with a patient's request to remove amalgam restorations, wither with or without a medical indication for such removal based on a sound physician referral, is not acting improperly.
In support of this position on the safety of dental amalgam, the CDA points to the following studies:
- In January 1993, a report for the U.S. Public Health Service found: "There is no solid evidence of any harm for millions of Americans who have these [dental amalgam] fillings" and "[There is] no persuasive reason to believe that avoiding amalgams or having them removed will have a beneficial effect on health."
- In August 1991, the National Institutes of Health technology assessment found: "There is no scientific evidence that currently used restorative materials cause significant side effects. Available data do not justify discontinuing the use of any currently available dental restorative materials or recommending their replacement."
- In May 1991, the FDA's Dental Products Panel determined that amalgam caused no direct hazard to patients, nor was there any reason to remove amalgam fillings.
Colorado Dental Association's Position on Tobacco Usage and Effects
The Colorado Dental Association is opposed to the use of both smoking and smokeless (spit) tobacco. The CDA supports all tobacco intervention efforts,
especially those that emphasize prevention for children.
In 1994, the CDA House of Delegates adopted the ADA tobacco policy which supports legislation that would limit the ways tobacco advertising can
be used, laws to set age restrictions on the sale of tobacco, bans on free sampling and the sale of tobacco through vending machines, legislation
to increase taxes on tobacco as a means of discouraging the initiation and continuation of tobacco use, and legislation to reduce exposure of
non-smokers to environmental tobacco smoke.
The Colorado Dental Association accepts the American Dental Association's position on tobacco.
The American Dental Association's position on tobacco
- Supports national and state legislation that would prohibit the ways and place that tobacco advertising and promotion practices can be used, particularly that which appeals to children and teenagers.
- Supports the enactment and enforcement of laws setting age restrictions for the sale of tobacco products in addition to bans on free sampling.
- Supports licensing requirements for sellers of tobacco products and enforcement of bans on the sale of tobacco products through vending machines.
- Supports the enactment of federal and/or state legislation to significantly increase taxes on tobacco products as a means to discourage the initiation and continuation of tobacco use.
- Supports the enactment and enforcement of legislation and regulations to reduce the exposure of non-smoking adults and children to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), with emphasis on facilities and activities that expose the greatest number of people to ETS for the longest periods of time, such as work places, schools, day care centers and health care facilities.
- Urges federal, sate and local governments to strengthen and expand their roles in tobacco-use education, prevention, research and cessation efforts.
Effects of Tobacco Usage
Smoking Tobacco
- Cigarettes can cause cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and the esophagus.
- Smokers are more likely to have periodontal disease - and have it more severely - than nonsmokers. Smokers have larger deposits of tartar on their teeth than nonsmokers. Smoking stains teeth, tooth restorations and the tongue. It causes bad breath and dulls taste and smell.
- Tobacco smoke irritates tissues in the mouth and delays healing after tooth extraction or surgery.
- The CDA's Tobacco Education Program includes cessation counseling for dental professionals. The CDA maintains a list dentists who have completed this seminar for referral to individuals who would like to quit smoking with the assistance of a dentist trained in these techniques.
Smokeless (Spit) Tobacco
- There has been an alarming increase in the use of spit tobacco among children and young adults. An estimated 10 million Americans use spit tobacco; one-fourth of these are children.
- Colorado has the third highest spit tobacco user rate in the nation. Six out of every ten males in Colorado high schools and two out of every ten females have tried spit tobacco. The average age for first use is nine.
- Sores, receding gums, tobacco stains, and bad breath are often the result of spit tobacco use. Nearly half of spit tobacco users have leukoplakia [white and thickened tissues], which can lead to oral cancer.
- One can of snuff per day delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes. Long-term snuff users have a 50% greater risk of developing oral cancer than non-users.
Colorado Dental Association's Position on X-rays
- An x-ray examination is an important diagnostic tool that allows dentists to detect diseases of the mouth and face that may not be detected by other methods.
- If x-rays are not used, small cavities between the teeth, abscesses, cysts, tumors and other diseases may be impossible to detect until serious damage has been done. Finding and treating oral problems at an early save can save time, money, discomfort, and possibly lives.
- Guidelines have been developed by the dental profession to decide when, how often and what kind of x-rays are needed for a patient. When guidelines are followed, x-rays are made only when necessary and always with a patient's overall health in mind.
- The chances are extremely remote that dental x-rays contribute to cancer because the exposure to the head and neck is so small. Strict safety standards for x-ray equipment have been set by federal, state, and local agencies and the proper use of x-rays is an ongoing interest of major health research and teaching institutions, government agencies and professional groups.
- Radiation exposure can be minimized by using a protective lead apron and high speed film, using equipment that restricts the beam to a specific area and limits exposure, and processing film according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
- Patients should feel free to question their dentists about x-rays or any other dental procedure.
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