This Texas Town’s Water Was So Magical that Cavities Didn’t Stand a Chance

Texas is full of many cities and many towns, and every town has its claim to fame, however, this small Texas town was once known as the town without a toothache.

 Hereford, Texas was Once Known as the Town Without a Toothache

Yes, the town also known as the Beef Capital of the World was once known as The Town Without a Toothache.  This was their claim to fame back in the day.  This small town in the Texas Panhandle had such a high level of natural fluoride in the water that it was rare to find anyone with a cavity who lived in the city.  Back in 1943, an article was published about how good the people's teeth were in the town of Hereford.

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This sign once greeted travelers traveling Highway 60 through Hereford.  However, it no longer stands in Santa Fe Park.

Although that sign is now a part of history, a historical marker still stands near where the original sign was located.

Hereford's "miracle water" was brought to national fame in 1941 when Dr. Edward Taylor, State Dental Officer, told the American Dental Association that tooth decay was almost unknown here. This ideal situation had been discovered by a local dentist, Dr. George Heard, originally from Alabama. In a cross-section survey, dentists found that few local people had dental cavities. Hereford's mineral-rich water and soil are thought to prevent tooth decay. Demand arose for Hereford water to be shipped all over the U.S. and to foreign nations. (1967)

Read More: The Town Without a Toothache, Interesting History of Hereford

Why Did Cities Add Flouride to the Water Supply?

After studies were done on fluoride some citing Hereford and their natural fluoridation, many cities started adding fluoride to the water.  This was mainly to help prevent tooth decay.

The Joe Rogan Podcast with Adam Curry Talks About Fluoride in the Water

Joe Rogan recently hosted Adam Curry, former MTV VJ on his podcast and one of the subjects was the dangers of fluoride in water, etc.  What do you know, they mentioned a small town in Texas that had a lot of natural fluoride in the water.

After a report stating that fluoride exposure can cause intellectual development delays in children, many cities have begun to stop putting fluoride in water.  While other cities have chosen to give their citizens the choice of using fluoride.

Even though the fluoride levels in Hereford are not what they used to be when it was named the Town Without a Toothache, it still holds to this historical claim to fame.