Thomas Hawkins

Student

Thomas Hawkins

Files

Cohort

2017-2018

Biography

Thomas Hawkins was born in Tallahassee, FL and moved to Orlando, FL to attend the University of Central Florida. He is currently majoring in Biomedical Sciences and plans to attend dental school after graduation. Thomas is currently studying the different fluoride levels in municipal tap water with bottled water and how it could affect oral health.

Faculty Mentor

Steven Duranceau, Ph.D.

Undergraduate Major

Biomedical Sciences

Future Plans

Doctor of Dental Surgery

Research

Comparing Fluoride Content of Bottled Water with Tap Water in Central Florida a. Fluoride is an ionic compound that is commonly added to municipal drinking water. Since the 1940s, water fluoridation has been a public practice that communities nationwide have adopted to combat the amount of dental caries. Municipal tap water is regulated by the USEPA, and in recent times, the optimal fluoride concentration has been reevaluated and changed to 0.7 mg/L. The USEPA and CDC believe this concentration is high enough to prevent dental caries and tooth decay, but also safe enough to protect the public from dental fluorosis. However, the addition of fluoride has been met with concerns and deemed controversial, forcing civilians to look for a different route of obtaining drinking water. With the increase in accessibility of bottled water, many consumers have chosen to purchase bottled water rather than obtain it from the tap. This study will examine the fluoride content in a number of bottled water brands available to consumers in central Florida and compare the findings to the fluoride levels in municipal supplied tap water in Orange and Seminole counties. The content level of fluoride in the bottled water and tap water will be evaluated on the recommended fluoride level posted by the USEPA and CDC.

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Thomas Hawkins


COinS