For the first time in 50 years, the US government has reduced its recommended level of fluoride in drinking water to prevent staining of tooth enamel caused by overexposure to fluoride.

An announcement has been made by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that to prevent tooth decay, the optimal fluoride level in drinking water must be 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water.

According to experts, the new level falls at the bottom end of the earlier recommended fluoridation range of 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter that was issued back in 1962. The change has been suggested by health experts because people of America now have access to more sources of fluoride involving toothpaste and mouth rinses than they did when municipal officials first started adding the mineral to water supplies across the US.

As per experts, more people are exposed to too much fluoride and also suffering from fluorosis. According to Federal health officials, the new recommended level is going to maintain the protective benefits of water fluoridation and decrease the happening of dental fluorosis.

“While additional sources of fluoride are more widely used than they were in 1962, the need for community water fluoridation still continues”, said US Deputy Surgeon General Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak. Lushniak said community water fluoridation carries on to decrease tooth decay in kids and adults beyond that given by using only toothpaste and other fluoride-containing products.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about three out of every four Americans served by public water systems get fluoridated water. Dr. Gretchen Henson, program director of advanced education in pediatric dentistry at the Interfaith Medical Center Department of Dental Medicine in New York City said that fluoride in the right amount is very vital for dental health.