Water fluoridation report

Children are also far more likely to avoid the trauma of having diseased teeth removed under general anaesthesia than those living in non-fluoridated areas, a new report published by Public Health England today confirms.

The report, welcomed by the British Dental Association (BDA), also confirms what the dental community has known for decadesthat there is no evidence that water fluoridation schemes in the UK are harmful to health.

While research indicates that everyone’s teeth can benefit from water fluoridation, the BDA concurs with the report’s finding that the most striking difference can be seen in children living in the most deprived areas of the country.

In closing the gap in oral health inequalities, the report notes that 28 per cent fewer five-year olds have tooth decay in fluoridated areas than non-fluoridated areas when deprivation and ethnicity – both important factors for dental health – are taken into account.

The BDA’s scientific adviser, professor Damien Walmsley, said: