Supporting water fluoridation and community decision making

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-oral-health-community-water-fluoridation-toolkit 

Members of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) are ready to support communities in England that decide to implement water fluoridation.

The 79 page toolkit from Public Health England covers everything you need to know about water fluoridation, from the evidence for its benefits to the complex processes that need to be followed to achieve fluoridation of the local water supply.

Professor Kevin Fenton, national director of health and well-being at Public Health England (PHE), says that PHE is “wholly supportive” of BSPD’s position statement published in 2014, which called for the fluoridation of water supplies where the burden of tooth decay is severe enough to warrant this public health measure. 

BSPD members will welcome the opportunity to provide their views on water fluoridation, said Claire Stevens, spokeswoman and paediatric dental consultant.

She said: “The evidence behind the positive impact of fluoride on teeth is strong. However, there are many areas of the UK were there is no fluoride in the water and children and young people in these areas suffer from more dental decay than in other areas.”