Return on Investment

Community Water Fluoridation

• One year of providing fluoridated water in the United States is estimated to save $6.5 billion in averted direct and indirect dental treatment costs.¹
• Communities served by fluoridated water save an average of $32 per person a year by avoiding treatment for cavities.¹
• The return on investment for community water fluoridation varies with size of the community, increasing as the community size increases, and is cost-saving even for small communities. Communities of 1,000 or more people see an average estimated return on investment of $20 for every $1 spent on water fluoridation.¹

School Sealant Programs

• Delivering dental sealants to children at high risk for cavities can be cost-saving to Medicaid by averting more expensive treatment costs.²
• School sealant programs that serve students at high risk for cavities can become cost-saving in 2 years and save $11.70 per sealed tooth over 4 years.³
• School sealant programs could save up to $300 million in averted costs by providing sealants to the 6.5 million children from low-income families who need them.³

Medical-Dental Integration

• The health care system could save up to $100 million each year if dental offices performed screenings for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Medical-dental integration between oral health and chronic disease prevention programs benefits patients and saves money.⁴