A campaigning group of dentists who want to see children’s dental health improved have announced their support for local authorities moving ahead with consultations on whether to top up the fluoride in local water supplies.
Formal letters have been submitted to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock proposing two new community water fluoridation schemes, one for Northumberland and the other for Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside.
Dr Tom Robson is a dentist in Consett, and a spokesperson for the National Community Water Fluoridation network. He explained: “We are passionately committed to improving children’s teeth through prevention. The most effective measure is making sure that the fluoride in the water is at the right level, which is one part per million.”
He said a new web resource (https://onepartpermillion.co.uk/north-east) has been created by the network with information on the positive impact that community water fluoridation could have on children living in the most deprived areas of the region.
The North East has a long and positive association with water fluoridation. There are already communities with fluoridated water in Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Consett, North Shields, Wallsend, Whitley Bay, Hexham and Alnwick. In these communities, dental health is better than in neighbouring non-fluoridated areas.
Much of the research which confirms the efficacy of water fluoridation has taken place at the University of Newcastle Dental School. Meanwhile, during WW11, children who were evacuated from South Shields – with its fluoridated water supply - to the Lake District – without fluoridated water - surprised school dental officers with their remarkably healthy teeth.
Research published in 2019 and carried out locally by members of the public health team shows that nearly 40% of children in deprived areas with non-fluoridated water have teeth which are decayed, missing or filled (dmf). This contrasts starkly both with the more affluent and fluoridated areas where it is down to less than 10%.
Meanwhile, children with severe decay of this kind have to be referred into hospital to have teeth extracted under general anaesthetic. This number could be brought down dramatically if go-ahead is given for the water across the North East to be evenly fluoridated at the right level of one part per million.
The National CWF Network represents local dental committees across England, and is supported by the British Dental Association and the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, among many others. It includes non-dental representative organisations like the National Children’s Bureau and organisations of medics.
Simon Hearnshaw is co-ordinator of the National CWF Network. He commented:” As a Society we have had enough of children having anaesthetics for the removal of decayed teeth. It’s upsetting and unnecessary because dental disease is largely preventable. We regard water fluoridation as one of a range of measures to ensure our children’s teeth are healthy. In the short-term the most cost-effective is water fluoridation but we also want to see tooth brushing schemes in early years settings as well as improved education on diet.”
Six million people in the UK live in areas where the water supply is fluoridated and a further one third of a million live in areas where the water has naturally occurring fluoride. The principle of water fluoridation in targeted areas is supported by:
· The World Health Organisation
· The British Medical Association
· The British Dental Association
· The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
· Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI)
· International Association of Dental Research
· Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons
· Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK)
· The Oral Health Foundation
· The World Health Assembly
Public Health England says fluoridation “is an effective and safe public health measure to reduce the prevalence and severity of dental caries, and reduce dental health inequalities.”
For more information, contact Caroline Holland 020 8679 9595/07974 731396
