Having grown up in an area where there was no municipal water system, I did not receive the benefit of fluoride in the water. Our school had a hygienist who did cleanings and applied fluoride to our teeth. This did little to prevent decay from setting in. Ask any older person from rural areas to see their teeth (if they have any). You will see a mouthful of fillings and crowns. To not fluoridate the water, is to turn the clock back, and you can sit back and watch the kids' teeth rot. It is indeed telling that the American Dental Association recommends fluoridation. They are the very same people that would benefit financially from the lack of it. It's obvious they care more about wellbeing than their wallets.