Not covered by private or public (Medicaid) dental
insurance.
Emergency care; pain relief for acute care needs.
Often for unscheduled, walk-in patients.
Unscheduled appointments usually associated with
dental emergency or urgent care services.
Pictures of the teeth, bones, and surrounding soft
tissues to diagnose, screen for, and help identify
problems with the teeth, mouth, and jaw. Also known
as dental radiographs.
Fluoride and Water Tesng Laboratories
Q. What is uoride?
A. Fluoride is a natural element found in rocks and soil, in fresh water, and in ocean water.
Waters in and around the United States have natural uoride levels that range from 0.1 to more
than 12 parts per million (ppm). One ppm is like one cent in $10,000.00. The opmal uoride
level for a community water system is 0.7 ppm.
Q. What are the benets of uoridated water?
A. Fluoridated water:
• Prevents tooth decay
• Strengthens tooth enamel
• Kills germs that cause tooth decay
• Is a cost eecve means of improving
community health
More than 50 years of evidence supports the
eecveness of uoridated water and its ability
to prevent, reduce, or even reverse the onset and
development of tooth decay. Through connuous
research, drinking opmally uoridated water has been
sciencally proven to be safe, not toxic, and eecve.
In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevenon
(CDC) reported approximately 73.9 percent of Americans
drink uoridated water. CDC also reported that
Maryland ranked rst in the country for residents on
community water systems with access to uoridated
water (97 percent).
The table on the following
pages lists independent
laboratories that are approved
to test uoride levels by the
Maryland Department of the
Environment and accept water
samples from the general
public.
The addion of supplemental
uoride to drinking water can
be compared to the addion of
supplemental Vitamin D to milk:
• Both uoride and vitamin D occur
naturally and provide signicant
health benets when present in a
person’s diet at sucient levels
• Sucient levels of Vitamin D in a
person’s diet can prevent rickets in
children and bone disease in adults.
Sucient levels of uoride in a
person’s drinking water can reduce
tooth decay and strengthen tooth
enamel
A. Many places in Maryland add uoride to their
community water systems as a cost ecient and
eecve way to help reduce tooth decay.
If you do not know the concentraon of uoride in
your community water supply or drink well water, it
is important to contact your local health department
and/or have it tested, before taking any uoride
supplements.
Consult your medical or dental provider before making
any decisions.
Q. Should I have the water tested to determine the uoride level?
Visit the following web sites for more informaon on uoride and water uoridaon:
www.cdc.gov
www.ada.org
www.nidcr.nih.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevenon
American Dental Associaon
Naonal Instutes of Health