Close Alert Banner
Skip to Content

kfla Public Health Logo

Contact Us
NewsContact UsLogin
FR EN
  • Health Topics
    • Dental health
    • Health hazards
    • Food and healthy eating
    • Immunizations and vaccines
    • Infections and infectious diseases
    • Injury prevention and safety
    • Mental well-being
    • Parenting
    • Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep
    • Pregnancy
    • Safe water
    • Sexual health
    • Substance use health
    • Violence
  • Organizations and Professionals
    • Business owners, operators and vendors
    • Early childhood educators
    • Elementary and secondary school educators
    • Health care providers
  • Clinics and Classes
    • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Dental hygiene clinics
    • Immunization clinics
    • Infant feeding clinics
    • Sexual health clinics
    • Mpox vaccine clinics
    • Food For You, Food For Two classes
    • Prenatal classes
  • About Us
    • Accessibility
    • Annual reports
    • Board of Health
    • Employment and volunteering
    • Policies
    • Strategic plan
  • I Want To:

Water fluoridation

HomeHealth TopicsSafe waterWater fluoridation
  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Email this page Email

Blue and white circles, one hexagon around the letter F

Fluoride is a mineral that helps keep our teeth strong and healthy. It is found naturally in water, soil, and air. Fluoride makes teeth stronger and can prevent tooth decay. People of all ages can benefit from using fluoride.

Where is fluoride found?

  • Most toothpaste and some mouth rinses contain fluoride.
  • Your dental provider may apply fluoride as a varnish, gel, foam, or liquid rinse.
  • You may purchase a daily or weekly fluoride rinse or fluoride supplement, at a drug store if recommended by your dental provider.
  • Small amounts of fluoride are found in nearly all water supplies. The amount in municipal water may be adjusted to an optimal level to protect teeth. Fluoride is not currently added to drinking water in the KFL&A region.

Community water fluoridation

KFL&A Public Health supports community water fluoridation as an effective way to prevent tooth decay.

Community water fluoridation is the process of monitoring and adjusting the fluoride level in drinking water to the recommended and optimal level to prevent tooth decay.

Water fluoridation is supported locally, nationally, and internationally by major medical, dental, and health organizations to prevent tooth decay. Water fluoridation at the recommended level is an effective, safe, and equitable way to prevent and reduce tooth decay for people of all ages.

Frequently asked questions about fluoride

Does Kingston adjust the level of fluoride in municipal drinking water?

No. Municipal water in the KFL&A region does not have optimal levels of fluoride. Small amounts of fluoride occur naturally in our water, but not at a high enough level to protect teeth.

Why is fluoride added to drinking water?

Fluoride has been proven to help keep teeth healthy. Adding fluoride to community drinking water is the most efficient and cost-effective way to provide community members with protection against tooth decay. Community water fluoridation adjusts the level of naturally occurring fluoride to an optimal level to protect against tooth decay.

Adapted and reproduced with permission of Public Health, Region of Peel.

Do other areas in Ontario adjust the level of fluoride in water?

Yes. Seven out of 10 Ontario residents (71%) have access to fluoridated water. Our neighbouring cities of Belleville and Brockville offer fluoridated water, as do Ottawa, Toronto, and many others.

What additive is used for community water fluoridation?

Fluorosilicic acid (FSA) is used to adjust the level of naturally occurring fluoride in the water in other communities. The FSA meets the industry and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change accepted standards.

Adapted and reproduced with permission of Public Health, Region of Peel.

How much fluoride is added to community drinking water?

In communities with community water fluoridation, the level of naturally occurring fluoride in the municipal water supply is adjusted to an optimal concentration range to protect against tooth decay (between 0.5 and 0.8 milligrams per litre (mg/L) which can also be described as 0.5 to 0.8 parts per million (ppm)). This range is recommended by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change in the Technical Support Document for Ontario Drinking Water Standards, Objectives and Guidelines.

Adapted and reproduced with permission of Public Health, Region of Peel.

What other forms of fluoride are available and where can you get it?

Getting fluoride from many sources gives you the best protection from tooth decay. Drinking fluoridated water reduces tooth decay in children and adults, even when other sources of fluoride (like toothpaste and fluoride varnish at the dentist) are used. After looking at all the ways we get fluoride, including toothpaste and varnish, Health Canada recommends that communities fluoridate water at 0.7 parts per million.

Is water fluoridation harmful to health?

No. Scientific research strongly supports community water fluoridation as a safe and effective way to help protect against tooth decay. Fluoride in the safe concentrations found in municipal water supplies in Canada is continuously monitored and does not pose any health hazards to humans of any age. The only known negative effect is dental fluorosis, though dental fluorosis impacts the appearance of the teeth (white spots), it does not affect the function of the teeth.

Adapted and reproduced with permission of Public Health, Region of Peel. 

Is there fluoride in well water or spring water in KFL&A?

There are trace amounts of naturally occurring fluoride in almost all water. Very few known areas in the KFL&A region have natural occurring fluoride at the optimal level of 0.7 parts per million, and none have levels that exceed the maximum acceptable concentration of 1.5 parts per million.

Who monitors the drinking water in Kingston?

Utilities Kingston monitors drinking water quality for the City of Kingston. It publishes annual reports on drinking water quality which describe naturally occurring fluoride levels and other parameters tested by accredited laboratories.

Who supports community water fluoridation?  

Over 90 national and international health, medical, and dental organizations support water fluoridation as a public health measure to prevent tooth decay, including:

  • Health Canada
  • Canadian Dental Association
  • American Dental Association
  • Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario
  • Public Health Agency of Canada
  • U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • US Food and Drug Administration
  • World Health Organization
Subscribe to page updates
Health Topics
  • Safe water
    Toggle Section Safe water Menu
    • Algae blooms
    • Beach water listings
    • Boil water advisory
    • Drinking water
    • Lead and drinking water
    • Water fluoridation
  • View full Health Topics menu
    Toggle Section
    • Dental health
      Toggle Section Dental health Menu
      • Dental care by age
      • Dental hygiene clinics
      • Water fluoridation
    • Health hazards
      Toggle Section Health hazards Menu
      • Extreme weather and climate change
      • Preparing for emergencies
      • Sun and UV safety
    • Food and healthy eating
      Toggle Section Food and healthy eating Menu
      • Choose water
      • Food and nutrition services
      • Food safety
      • Healthy food choices by age
        Toggle Section Healthy food choices by age Menu
        • Feeding your baby
        • Introducing solid foods
      • Safe food handler training
      • The cost of eating healthy
    • Immunizations and vaccines
      Toggle Section Immunizations and vaccines Menu
      • COVID-19 vaccine
        Toggle Section COVID-19 vaccine Menu
        • Nuvaxovid Vaccine
      • Immunization records and reporting
      • Immunization schedule by age
      • Tips before getting vaccinated
    • Infections and infectious diseases
      Toggle Section Infections and infectious diseases Menu
      • Avian influenza (bird flu)
      • COVID-19
        Toggle Section COVID-19 Menu
        • COVID-19 surveillance in KFL&A
        • School and child care (COVID-19)
        • Self-isolation
      • Infection prevention and control lapses
      • Influenza
      • Lyme and tickborne diseases
      • Mpox (monkeypox) virus
      • Preventing the spread of respiratory infections
      • Rabies
      • Tuberculosis
      • Vomiting and diarrhea (gastroenteritis)
    • Injury prevention and safety
      Toggle Section Injury prevention and safety Menu
      • On and off-road safety
      • Preventing a fall
      • Sun and UV safety
      • Concussions
    • Mental well-being
      Toggle Section Mental well-being Menu
      • Children and youth mental health
      • Eating disorders and disordered eating
      • Improving your mental health
      • Mental health services
      • Perinatal mood disorder
    • Parenting
      Toggle Section Parenting Menu
      • Babies and toddlers
      • Parenting emails
      • School aged children
    • Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep
      Toggle Section Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep Menu
      • Physical activity
        Toggle Section Physical activity Menu
        • Physical activity for babies and toddlers
        • Physical activity for school aged children
        • Physical activity for adults
        • Active transportation
      • Sedentary behaviour
      • Sleep
        Toggle Section Sleep Menu
        • Sleep for babies and toddlers
        • Sleep for school aged children
        • Sleep for adults
    • Pregnancy
      Toggle Section Pregnancy Menu
      • Having a healthy pregnancy
      • Infant loss
      • Planning for a healthy pregnancy
      • Staying healthy after pregnancy
    • Sexual health
      Toggle Section Sexual health Menu
      • Contraception
      • Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections
      • Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV (PrEP)
    • Substance use health
      Toggle Section Substance use health Menu
      • Alcohol
      • Cannabis
      • Harm reduction
        Toggle Section Harm reduction Menu
        • Harm reduction supplies
        • Naloxone
        • Needle safety
      • Tobacco
      • Vaping
    • Violence

Contact Us

kfla Public Health footer logo

Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health works together with our communities to promote and protect the public's health. Our commitment is to provide public health programs and services of the highest quality.

  • View our Facebook Page
  • View our Twitter Page
  • View our Instagram Page
  • View our YouTube Page
  • View our LinkedIn Page
  • Health Topics
  • Organizations and Professionals
  • Clinics and Classes
  • About Us

Links:

  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Feedback
  • Ontario 211
  • Privacy and records
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of reference
  • Viral respiratory mapper
Scroll to top of page

© 2023 KFL&A Public Health

By GHD Digital

I Want To:

Report

  • Childcare discharges
  • Food-borne illness
  • Immunizations

Apply or register

  • Clinics
  • Employment and volunteering
  • Open a food premise
  • Personal service settings
  • Parenting emails
  • Special events for organizers and vendors

Access

  • Dental programs
  • Inspection results and enforcement actions
  • Beach water listings
  • Well water testing
  • COVID-19 surveillance in KFL&A

Request

  • Harm reduction supplies
  • Immunizations records
  • PHIPA or MFIPPA records
  • Property record request
Close Old Browser Notification
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.