Fluoride to be added to UK drinking water to cut tooth decay - chief medical officers

 

Britain's chief medical officers found that it would help reduce tooth decay. Meaning that Millions of people are set to have fluoride added to their drinking water.

Tooth decay is the biggest cause of hospitalisation for children aged five to nine and the experts said that fluoridation would halve admissions.

According to Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, and his counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, adding more of the mineral to water supplies would cut cavities by 17% among children in the wealthiest households and 28% among the poorest.

They say it could also reduce hospital admissions for teeth extraction by between 45 and 68 per cent.

"There is unquestionably an issue with tooth decay in the UK and an entrenched inequality which needs to be addressed. Fluoridation of water can reduce this common problem," the medical officers concluded in an evidence review published on Thursday.

"There is strong scientific evidence that water fluoridation is an effective public health intervention for reducing the prevalence of tooth decay and improving dental health equality across the UK," they told ministers.

Fluoride is naturally found in low levels in water and is known to protect teeth.

The chief medical officers emphasised that fluoridation is "not a substitute" for brushing teeth regularly.

Dismissing "exaggerated and unevidenced" claims about the mineral's supposed health risk, the chief medical officers stressed there was no evidence that fluoride caused cancer.

While fluoridation is common in many other developed countries - like Canada, New Zealand and South Korea - it is less so in England, with only 5.8 million people drinking water with added fluorine.

Local authorities decide whether to add fluoride to local water supplies, but there is often little incentive to establish fluoridation schemes as they are not responsible for dental health.

Ministers have drawn up plans for fluoridation, which will be open to a public consultation following the passing of any new laws.

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