A Civil Questionary Survey for Fluoridation in a Large City and an Estimation of its Economic Effect

대도시 상수도 불소화사업을 위한 시민여론조사 및 경제성효과에 대한 평가

Recently fluoridation has often been considered as a method to maintain the concentration of fluoride in the drinking water at level adequate to be able to help protect children having decayed teeth. The benefits of fluoridation can be verified to compare the occurance rates of decayed tooth in the areas fluoridated and not fluoridated. Jainhae and Chongju have already fluoridaed the drinking water, and it was known that fluoridation could protect tooth-decaying effectively. The reduction rate of decayed teeth was estimated to be about 50~60 per cent. In the present study, a questionary survey to about sixty four hundred inhabitants of Taejon was carried out to grasp the opinions of citizens for fluoridation. According to the results, 75 per cent of the respondents agreed to the fluoridation. About 49 per cent and 44 per cent of them wanted that the fluoridation should be enforced after a questionary survey and after the decision of a specialist group in the institutes concerned respectively. About 71 per cent of them agreed to 5 per cent-rising of water fee for the fluoridation. The anual cost reguired for fluoridation in a large city was estimated to be about 500 won per capital therefore its economic effect is very large.