Table salt fluoridation can reduce the prevalence of dental caries up to 84 per cent, according to a new book published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in the USA.

The book, Promoting Oral Health: The Use of Salt Fluoridation to Prevent Dental Caries claims that salt fluoridation programmes over the last decade have placed the countries of the Americas at the leading edge in reducing dental caries, and these programmes are now being replicated in other regions.

“Dental caries is the most common childhood disease and can be avoided thanks to salt fluoridation,” said PAHO's Dr. Saskia Estupiñan-Day, regional advisor on oral health and author of the publication. “The Latin American and Caribbean experience is being replicated worldwide. Many countries are seeking our assistance and technical cooperation to implement this greatly beneficial and cost-effective public health strategy.”

She added that studies on dental caries in 12-year-old-children showed that the average regional rate of caries in the Americas dropped from 5.05 in 1987 to 2.41 in 2004, thanks to salt fluoridation programmes. The most notable reduction took place in Jamaica, a country that achieved an 84 per cent reduction in childhood dental caries in 1995 due to a nationwide salt fluoridation programme started in 1987.

Water fluoridation has been a staple of oral health for decades in North America and the world. However, distribution of fluoride throughout water supply systems in Latin America and the Caribbean is not always the best way to reach people, particularly in remote areas.

The new PAHO book details the history of programmes that have been implemented and the know-how for the salt industries, governments and health professionals still in the developmental phase of salt fluoridation programme implementations.