Illinois honors communities for water fluoridation

SPRINGFIELD — About 430 Illinois communities have been honored by public health officials for maintaining state-mandated fluoride levels last year.

The Illinois Department of Public Health presented the fluoridation awards to the local water systems at a Wednesday ceremony in Springfield. Fluoride is credited with cutting cavities and tooth decay. But studies show too much fluoride causes spots on some children's teeth.

In January the federal government said it planned to recommend lower levels of fluoride in water supplies. It's the first change in nearly 50 years.

State officials say about 99 percent of people served by public water systems in Illinois receive fluoridated water. That's compared with the national average of about 72 percent.