.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}

UK Against Fluoridation

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Daily Mail - Putting fluoride in the water everywhere would save the NHS millions 'by halving the number of people needing tooth extractions'

Putting fluoride in the water everywhere would save the NHS millions 'by halving the number of people needing tooth extractions'

  • 500 five to nine-year-olds admitted to hospital each week with tooth decay
  • Areas where fluoride was added to the water saw extractions fall by 55% 
  • Fluoride proven to strengthen tooth enamel and reduce risk of decay

Adding fluoride to tap water could save the NHS millions and dramatically improve children's dental health, new research suggests.
The number of people admitted for tooth extractions more than halved in areas where the mineral was added to water supplies compared to those which didn't, the study found.
Tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions in primary school children with 500 five to nine year olds admitted every week.

At the moment, 15 out of 152 local authorities which have water fluoridation schemes.
Yet Public Health England states the average cost per person, per year is just 40p.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said fluoridation schemes were vital in fighting the UK's tooth extraction crisis.
He described the number of children admitted to hospital with tooth problems as 'deeply disturbing', claiming countless studies had shown that water fluoridation reduced decay.

'This new research reinforces what we have known for a long time regarding the benefits that fluoride can have on children's teeth, while also emphasising the fact that fluoridation has no negative impact on general health,' he said.
'Currently only around 12 per cent of the UK population live in areas which have fluoridated water and the NHS has to pick up the burden when it comes to the consequences to our teeth.' 
The study authors added it was likely that children from the most deprived communities gained the most benefit from added fluoride. This is because they are 'less likely to practice good oral hygiene and access dental services for routine care'. 


In the early 20th century, levels of tooth decay were found to be associated with fluoride levels in drinking water. 
This led to the introduction of water fluoridation schemes to add fluoride to water supplies where the level was low. 
Six million people in the UK live in areas where the level of fluoride in water is artificially adjusted to the recommended one part per million, with another one million living in areas with natural levels of fluoridated water. 
Fluoride can reduce tooth decay strengthening tooth enamel, making it more resistant and reducie the amount of acid that the bacteria on your teeth produce
The latest findings could have major consequences for NHS which spends £30 million a year on hospital based tooth extractions for children. 
Ben Atkins, clinical director of Revive Dental Care and trustee of the British Dental Health Foundation, said fluoride could help solve the 'crisis' in children's dental health.
'Practising as I do in the North West of England, an area with some of the highest levels of decay in England, the reduction in suffering that would be caused by water fluoridation is immense,' he said.
'We have to face facts, we are facing a crisis when it comes to our kid's teeth and decisive action needs to be taken sooner rather than later as a struggling NHS cannot shoulder this burden forever, fluoridation schemes offer an easy and harmless way of improving our children's dental health.'

Hundreds of comments already and nearly all very much against. 



3 Comments:

  • "Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said fluoridation schemes were vital in fighting the UK's tooth extraction crisis."

    Dr Carter has a very short memory. Just one year ago he admitted to the Birmingham Mail that there had been a 300% rise in the FLUORIDATED West Midlands in the number of children being admitted to hospital for tooth extractions. And I quote: "Some youngsters are undergoing hospital operations to remove all 20 baby teeth, according to Dr Nigel Carter, the chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, who practises in the region.

    Figures revealed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre showed in the West Midlands in 2010-11 there were 456 children aged under 10 admitted to hospital with tooth decay. But in the last year 1,444 kids were admitted – a rise of more than 300 per cent."

    If the "research" he refers to is the PHE report, it isn't worth the paper it is written on. The most prestigious reviews of fluoridation, the York Review in 2000, the NRC review in 2006, and the newly published Cochrane report, found little evidence of effectiveness and none of safety.

    PHE may be dumb enough to believe their own lies, but how stupid do they think the people are to fall for their deception?

    By Anonymous Carrie, at 18 August, 2015  

  • Hi Carrie, had another councillor reference me to this Daily Mail article. I've used your comment in my response. Thank you. :-)

    By Anonymous Cllr Chris, at 19 August, 2015  

  • Thank you Councillor Chris. The article in the Birmingham Mail was published on 17 July 2014. Dr Carter blames the shocking figures on "a massive failure in parenting". I'd say it's compelling evidence of a massive failure of fluoridation, which they claim reduces tooth decay rates by 50%.

    http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/300-rise-west-midlands-kids-7442063

    By Anonymous Carrie, at 19 August, 2015  

Post a Comment

<< Home