Introduction to the Symposium

January 25, 1995, is the 50th anniversary of the first controlled addition of fluoride to a public water supply. Those 50 years have seen extraordinary advances in oral health and consequent quality of life, for which fluoride use is generally considered the primary reason. More extensive exposure to fluoride in the modern era, however, has led to both a continuing decline in caries experience and an increased prevalence of dental fluorosis in children. At the other end of life, fluoride's role in bone strength among older people is not well defined. This symposium examines several aspects of fluoride use in the United States today, and has the purpose of helping to define the balance between maximizing the benefits of fluoride while minimizing its undesirable side effects.