LOCAL authorities across the UK should add fluoride to water supplies after new research confirms it has no adverse effects.
According to the American Fluoridation Society, a study led by researchers from the National Toxicology Program in the United States found that 80 percent of water was fluoridated “found no association between elevated fluoride levels and cognitive / learning deficits.”
The UK’s Oral Health Foundation is calling for widespread fluoridation programs to be introduced in the community, a move it believes will help protect millions from tooth decay.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that supports oral health by strengthening tooth enamel and making it more resistant to tooth decay. It is found in many foods and in all drinking water, but usually in too small amounts to help a person’s oral health.
The National Health and Medical Research Council found that children and adolescents who lived in areas with water fluoridation had 26-44 percent fewer teeth or surfaces affected by tooth decay, and adults had 27 percent less tooth decay.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the fluoridation of drinking water to prevent tooth decay as one of the “ten great public health interventions of the 20th century”.
More than 5,000 children are admitted to hospitals in Northern Ireland each year for multiple teeth extraction – which is estimated to cost the health service an estimated £ 9 million. Many very young children wait months, crying, and desperately waiting for their teeth to be removed. These children are often not treatable in general medicine. This situation has to change.
Dr. Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, says fluoridation of water is a safe and highly effective way to significantly reduce health inequalities in the UK.
“We believe the results of the National Toxicology Program, along with the Public Health England report, conclusively demonstrate how the introduction of water fluoridation will dramatically reduce the number of children suffering from tooth decay, reduce the large inequalities that exist, and reduce the quality of life for millions of people across the UK, ”says Dr. Carter.
NI Water does not add fluoride to drinking water in Northern Ireland. However, their local supply may contain naturally occurring fluoride found in underlying rock layers from where it enters rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Ultimately, responsibility for the fluoridation of public water supplies rests with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS).
Comments are closed.