Fluoride Pop Quiz!

How much do you know about fluoride? by Thais Carter

Fluoride is a foundational component of modern dental care, and you know its benefits back and forth. But when it comes to the history of this extraordinary element, do you make the grade?

1. This Colorado dentist pioneered fluoride research in the early 1900s.

A) Dr. Greene Vardiman Black

B) Dr. Frederick K. McKay

C) Dr. R. Wayne Thompson

2. The first city in the world to fluoridate its drinking water to optimal levels was...

A) Chicago, IL

B) Kingston, NY

C) Grand Rapids, MI

 3. What year did Procter & Gamble introduce Crest, the first fluoridated toothpaste endorsed by the American Dental Association?

A) 1942

B) 1955

C) 1963

4. Fluorine—from which fluoride is developed—is the _____ most abundant element in the envirionment.

A) 13th

B) 5th

C) 33rd

5. Fluoride is naturally present in all water.

A) True

B) False

6. The U.S. Public Health Survey has established the optimal concentration for fluoride in water supplies as a range of...

A) 0.4-0.8 parts per million (ppm)

B) 1.0-4.5 ppm

C) 0.7-1.2 ppm

7. The 1 ppm of fluoride to water ratio can be represented as...

A) 1 minute in 2 years

B) 1 inch in 16 miles

C) Both

8. For most cities, every dollar invested in water fluoridation saves ____ in dental treatment costs.

A) $38

B) $75

C) $140

Answers: 1-B, 2-C, 3-B, 4-A, 5-A, 6-C, 7-C, 8-A

Sources: American Dental Association, American Dental Hygienists Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prevention magazine