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UK Against Fluoridation

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Southampton PCT - fluorosis is not a health problem

Southampton PCT have this web page devoted to their push for fluoridation.

On Thursday 31 March 2005, Southampton City Primary Care Trust (PCT) agreed at their public board meeting to support the principle of water fluoridation and wish to investigate its potential to address the problems of poor dental health in Southampton.

Before a consultation and public decision can take place, studies need to be done to see if it is viable. The PCT will be asking the Strategic Health Authority to co-ordinate cost and technical feasibility studies of fluoridating the water. If the results of these are positive, then the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority would begin a public consultation to establish whether people living and working in the area to be fluoridated are in support.

Andrew Mortimore, Director of Public Health for the PCT said “Child dental health in Southampton is particularly poor, with over a third of five year olds having decayed, missing or filled teeth, and it’s getting worse. Last year 3,203 teeth were extracted, 2,752 of these from children. Oral health promotion programmes have been in place for a number of years in Southampton, but dental problems persist, despite the PCT’s continuous development and investment into these programmes. There is plenty of evidence that proves fluoridation can reduce dental decay. When the public consultation is held, we will provide the local community with all of the information to enable them to make an informed decision about whether they want fluoride added to their water.”

Fluoride is naturally present in virtually all water supplies, but only one in 10 of the UK’s population benefit from the level pf protection provided by the optimum level for dental health, which is one part per million (1ppm). In parts of the country where fluoride is naturally present in the water system, people benefit significantly with improved dental health, and have less decayed, filled or missing teeth.

There are a number of options that the PCT could consider such as fluoride drops and tablets, fissure sealants, fluoride varnishes and gels, fluoridated milk or providing fluoride toothpaste for those most in need. All of these options have their benefits and drawbacks, however, and water fluoridation is the single most effective means of reducing dental health inequalities, particularly in children, as it does not require any changes in behaviour within our population.

This of course is a contentious subject, and you may already have heard arguments against fluoridation, but you also might want to find out some more facts about fluoridation before you come to your own conclusion. The following web pages will provide you with facts about fluoride and fluoridation as well as some links to other useful websites.

If you should have any further questions you would like answering, you can complete the form online.

Click title to ask questions and read their FAQ

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