Even though New Jersey is known for their pharmaceutical and biotechnology progress, they long lagged in what public health officials call one of the 10 biggest health advances of the last century fluoridating its water.

While 72 percent of Americans get their water from public systems that add fluoride, just 14 percent of New Jersey residents do, placing the state next to last, ahead of only Hawaii, and far behind nearby New York 72 percent.

While a bill in the Legislature would change that, requiring all public water systems in New Jersey to add fluoride to the water supply, similar bills have failed in the state since 2005.