Water fluoridation in Arkansas

Governor Mike Beebe (seated) signs community water fluoridation legislation in the presence of various public officials, including Dr. Lynn Douglas Mouden, the state's dental director (standing directly behind the governor, wearing a red jacket).

Water fluoridation in Arkansas
by Christine Nathe, RDH, MS

..........The key to passage of the legislation lay in the tremendous support from all areas of dentistry and medicine. Having the support of dentistry, dental hygiene, and medicine made passage of the hygiene and varnish bills almost a certainty. Both bills passed both houses with hardly a dissenting comment.

The fluoridation bill was the culmination of 11 years of work and advocacy on the part of the Office of Oral Health and the Arkansas Oral Health Coalition. The keys to success were the incredible support of the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation and the Pew Center on the States' Oral Health Initiative. Early on, the Delta Dental foundation pledged at least $500,000 to purchase and install fluoridation equipment for the 32 affected systems. That pledge removed any thought that the legislation was an unfunded mandate.

Along with that pledge, Pew did two things that specifically helped fluoridation. First, Pew commissioned a public opinion poll in Arkansas that showed overwhelming support for fluoridation. Secondly, Pew provided funding to hire contract lobbyists in Little Rock to help move the legislation. Without the help of Delta Dental and Pew, Arkansas would not have made the strides in legislation that have become the hallmarks of oral health policy.

How can other states build on Arkansas' success?
First of all, they should never give up. Perseverance pays off when the message of oral health's importance remains in the public domain. Secondly, they should build and maintain coalitions that go far beyond the usual players. Dental hygiene and dentistry cannot win these battles alone. Finally, they should support the dental public health leaders in every state – those individuals and their programs that promote population-based prevention.


This is certainly exciting news. Also, a great message is inherent in this success, and that is how collaboration works to our advantage – when working to promote the oral health of the public!

I wonder how that opinion poll was worded?