During the second half of the 20th century, there was a steep decline in tooth decay among kids in the United States. Water fluoridation advocates have long claimed that this reduction in tooth decay was primarily the result of adding fluoride to water. It all started in the 1940’s with the belief that fluoride’s primary benefit came during the tooth-forming years. Today it is now acknowledged by the dental research community that fluoride’s primary benefit comes from contact with teeth instead of ingesting it. It is also now common knowledge that fluoride is ineffective at preventing tooth decay in pits and fissures which is where the majority of tooth decay happens.

As many a cosmetic dentist knows, tooth decay is basically still epidemic in poor and minority populations, but this is also the same groups that suffer a disproportionately high amount of almost all diseases including obesity and diabetes, much of which is linked to eating too much sugar. These are the folks that require an oral surgeon most often, not to mention dental crowns, teeth bleaching and dental veneers. Their diets also lack several key nutrients and are high in fat and sugar.

When the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) nominated water fluoridation as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century, it showed the reduction of cavities in children in the U.S. coupled with the increase in water systems that have been fluoridated since the 1960’s.

There’s another interesting report that was published last year regarding red wine, which has long been known to contain a substance, resveratrol, a heart-healthy substance. Now it appears both red wine grapes and winemaking residue, known as pomace, contain substances that may help prevent tooth decay. People may require more procedures for whitening teeth, but their teeth will be healthier!  In a study published online in November of 2007 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry we learn that it is specific polyphenols, or chemicals present in large amounts in fermented seeds and skins that are cast away after grapes are pressed —- interfere with the ability of bacteria to contribute to tooth decay. (Source: Cornell and the University of Rochester Medical Center.)

The study may also hold clues for new ways to reduce life-threatening, systemic infections caused by bacteria. It is Streptococcus mutans, a bacterium that produces the substances most responsible for tooth decay.

In the future, the hope now is to isolate the key compounds within pomace that render bacteria harmless, perhaps by developing a new kind of mouthwash.

Until then, many a Los Angeles dentist, including myself, are recommending less sugar, better toothbrushes, and teaching parents how to help their children brush better.