Fluoridation Learning Online

Drop of water with rippling waves

water tower

smiling kids

woman drinking fluoridated water

CDC Water Fluoridation Training Course

A free resource designed to build the capability of state fluoridation programs, and to help increase knowledge and refine skills to implement and maintain community water fluoridation.

Key Features

  • Use anywhere, anytime, on any device
  • Interactive audio and video material
  • Self-paced, personalized training based on experience and background
  • Save information to a Favorites page
  • Reference page with additional resources

Intended Audience

  • State oral health staff and practitioners
  • State drinking water regulatory engineers
  • Water system operators
  • Governmental officials
  • Students and educators
  • Members of the public interested in community water fluoridation

Overview of FLO

  • Module 1: Science – the history and science of fluoridation, benefits, and health effects
  • Module 2: Program – state program management and oversight, and communication principles
  • Module 3: Water system overview and design
  • Module 4: Technical information for water fluoridation additives and operations

Frequently Asked Questions

Fluoridation Learning Online is hosted on the CDC TRAIN learning platform. To access the course, you will need to registerexternal icon on CDC TRAIN. Alternately, you also can search for course ID 1072975 on CDC TRAIN.external icon

If you are a returning CDC TRAIN user, select the link in the red banner that takes you to the sign-in page. Once you sign in, CDC TRAIN will redirect you to the training course.

If you are a new TRAIN user:

  1. Select the “create an account” link in the red banner
  2. Complete the sign-up process on the next page
  3. Choose a group when CDC TRAIN prompts you to do so
  4. Select the category that best describes your work role
  5. Press the green button to confirm your selection
  6. Select “Finish Creating Account.”

Remember to complete your profile, accessible by selecting your user name from the top right corner of the TRAIN platform, which will allow you to access other courses on CDC TRAIN.

If you have a TRAIN account from another affiliate, like a state health department, you may need to add the CDC group to your profile for the training to appear. To do so, select your name at the top right, then “Your Profile,” and then the Manage Groups tab. Select the “Join Another Group” button, and search for CDC.

You can begin the Fluoridation Learning Online training by selecting “Launch.” If you leave the site and sign in again, you can access the training from the “Your Learning” menu.

Learn more about using TRAIN.external icon

Fluoridation Learning Online is a free resource. The course is available through CDC TRAIN, an affiliate of the Public Health Foundation’s TRAIN Learning Network. This learning network provides access to more than 1,000 courses developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) programs, grantees, and other funded partners.

All courses in CDC TRAIN are available at no cost to learners across the public health community including public health practitioners, health care professionals, public works engineers and operators, environmental health workers, first responders, educators, students and others.

Fluoridation Learning Online contains four modules. The first three modules describe the fundamentals of community water fluoridation, including how fluoride works and why we use it, how state programs support and communicate fluoridation’s benefits, and how water treatment systems are designed and operate. Each of these modules can be completed in about an hour.

The final module contains detailed technical information on fluoridation operations, including lessons on fluoride additives, safety, operations, and testing. This extended, 12-lesson module may take up to 4 hours to complete.

Fluoridation Learning Online is designed to save learners’ progress, meaning that the course can be completed over several learning sessions. The entire course can be completed in about 8 hours if taken during one session.

Fluoridation Learning Online is designed to provide training about community water fluoridation, and be an ongoing resource for water operators in the field. Using responsive formatting, Fluoridation Learning Online is designed to be accessible on multiple devices, including on desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile devices.

Currently, CDC only offers a TRAIN certificate of completion for learners who complete all four learning modules. Send an e-mail to the course contact listed in TRAIN for answers to any questions about course completion issues.

Because travel was often a barrier for potential attendees, CDC has converted the live, in-person course into an online, web-based format that can reach more audiences. A web-based training program gives a larger, more diverse audience access to this important information, plus the flexibility to take the course at a time that is convenient for them.