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UK Against Fluoridation

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Facebook Cllr Adam Zerny

Fluoride added to our water - Good or Bad?
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Water fluoridation has long been a controversial subject but did you know our little corner of Central Beds is one of a handful of areas of the UK currently having fluoride added to the water you drink? Please read to the end as I'll be seeking your view on whether this is right.
Water fluoridation is the process by which fluoride chemicals are added to the public water supply in an effort to reduce levels of tooth decay. The idea is that fluoride in saliva can cut the rate at which tooth enamel decays* Some reports suggest fluoridation has been found to reduce tooth decay in children but it's less clear if it helps adults**.
Public water fluoridation began in America in 1945 and currently takes place in 25 countries. About 5% of the world's population receive fluoridated water. In 2011 the World Health Organization suggested a level of fluoride from 0.5 to 1.5 milligrams per litre) is appropriate*** but this limit seems to vary from one country to another.
Fluoridation began in Bedfordshire in 1971 and continues to this day. Bedford Borough Council recently voted to cease adding fluoride to water and is soon to go through a consultation process to end the 'contract to fluoridate'.
I've attached a couple of maps. On the first one, the turquoise area is the area around Bedford where fluoride used to be added (until 2009) but currently is not, while they go through their process. The pale green area also used to get fluoride but does not anymore. The dark green area (stretching from Shillington to Potton via Sandy, Biggleswade and Arlesey) currently receives fluoride in the water. On the second map, all the areas of the UK which have naturally low levels of fluoride in the water (below 1mg fluride per litre) are in pale blue or mauve. The dotted areas are where fluoride is added to the water supply.
Many people believe there are strong reasons to end water fluoridation in our area but Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) tells me for now it has no plans to do so although it is monitoring what happens in Bedford. Below are the main arguments for and against fluoridation. I will then link to a webpage where you can vote on whether you think it should continue. I would urge EVERYONE who reads this article to vote so we can get a strong cross secton.
FOR
- Tooth decay is a social ill and levels of tooth decay have fallen in the western world in the last 40 years.
- There is no clear evidence of adverse health effects from water fluoridation°°.
- The Australian government has publicly backed water fluoridation°°°.
- The World Health Organization supports water fluoridation, especially for groups at 'high risk'^.
- The UK Government currently has no concerns about the effects of fluoridation on general health^^.
AGAINST
- It is morally wrong to medicate the public en-masse without their approval.
- By adding fluoride to the water, it can vary in strength in different areas and the more water you drink, the more fluoride you get.
- Fluoride in large amounts is a danger to health. If you get your fluoride via drinking water the amount you get goes up the more you drink.
- Water fluoridation is unnecessary because you can get the fluoride you need from toothpaste*.
- Many countries - including Finland, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, and Switzerland - have discontinued fluoridation after health concerns.
- There is no proof of the success of fluoridation. While levels of tooth decay have fallen over the last 40 years it is not clear whether this is merely down to the use of fluoride, indeed most European countries have experienced substantial declines in tooth decay without its use, albeit with milk and salt fluoridation in some areas^^^.
- The European Commission finds no benefit to water fluoridation when compared with getting fluoride via toothpasteˇ.
What about dentists and doctors? Don't they have a view? I'm told it's impossible to get a continuous timeline of dental health with or without fluoride in water because there have been too many factors which have muddied the waters e.g. the introduction of fluoridated toothpaste in the 1970s, the improvement in nutrition and other demographic factors. I wrote to five dentist surgeries in the affected area and to Potton's doctors' surgery to ask if they had a view either way, but none have responded to date.
What you can say is there is no correlation at all between fluoridation and dental hygiene. A Public Health England report (see graphic) shows how the best dental hygiene is to be found in the South East where, as you can see from the fluoridation map, there is very little naturally occurring fluoride in the water and no public fluoridation programme. There is however, a much stronger correlation between dental hygiene and prosperity as can be seen from the other attached graphicsˇˇ. So it looks the only real relationship to be seen is that as people get more wealthy, tooth decay goes down.
And what of the evidence from Bedford's experience? A recent report from Bedford Borough Councilˇˇˇ noted the following:
- Much of the evidence regarding water fluoridation’s effectiveness in relation to dental health is old, and covers a period before fluoride was also introduced into toothpaste so it's not possible to link fluoridation with declines in levels of tooth decay.
- Concerns about ill health being linked to water fluoridation are not scientifically proven.
- Fluoride stopped being added [in Bedford] in 2009 and there is no evidence of any decline in dental health between 2008 and 2015 (although the sample size was small).
- Costs associated with stopping fluoridation should not be a prohibitive factor.
- There are a number of other schemes being introduced by Bedford Borough Council to address children’s dental health.
- There was no public consultation before fluoridation began.
As mentioned, CBC's current stance is to wait and see what happens in Bedford. However, this means fluoride carries on going into the water in our area. It would be really helpful to understand people's views, so regardless of whether you think it is good, bad or are indifferent, please vote on this survey and I will take the results to CBC.
It's only two questions and will take you just 10 seconds.
What do YOU think of fluoridation?
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Appendix
*
This report covers details of how fluoride (and topical fluorides such as those found in toothpaste) might prevent tooth decay:
Pizzo G, Piscopo MR, Pizzo I, Giuliana G. Community water fluoridation and caries prevention: a critical review. Clin Oral Investig. 2007;11(3):189–93. doi:10.1007/s00784-007-0111-6
https://link.springer.com/artic…/10.1007%2Fs00784-007-0111-6
**
This report suggests the benefits for adults may be less clear:
"Introduction to the SCHER opinion on Fluoridation". European Commission Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER). 2011.
http://ec.europa.eu/…/opinions…/fluoridation/en/l-3/1.htm#0
***
In the UK if fluoride is below 1 part per million (1mg fluoride per litre) fluoride can legally be added. In Potton for January 2017 to September 2017, the average levell of fluoride naturally occcuring in the water was 0.4, with 0.3 in Shefford and Biggleswade. However, a maximum level of 1.0 has been recorded in Shefford and Potton and 0.8 in Biggleswade so these levels are often a lot higher BEFORE fluoridation.
Here is detail of the recent lowering of the limit at which fluoride can be added to 0.7 in America https://www.theguardian.com/…/fluoride-levels-us-drinking-w…
°
"Notes that it is advised that consultation is recommended on whether or not to resume, given the passage of time since artificial fluoridation ceased at the Manton Heights, Bedford works in 2009. However, it is not a legal requirement that consultation is carried out"
For full text see section 5.4.3 of the following link:
http://www.councillorsupport.bedford.gov.uk/…/Item%205.1%20…
°°
These reports cover the issue of a lack of clear evidence of other adverse effects from water fluoridation:
McDonagh M, Whiting P, Bradley M et al. A systematic review of public water fluoridation; 2000. Report website: NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. Fluoridation of drinking water: a systematic review of its efficacy and safety; 2000 Authors' summary: McDonagh MS, Whiting PF, Wilson PM et al.. Systematic review of water fluoridation
https://www.york.ac.uk/media/crd/crdreport18.pdf
BMJ. 2000;321(7265):855–9. doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7265.855. PMID 11021861. PMC 27492. Authors' commentary: Treasure ET, Chestnutt IG, Whiting P, McDonagh M, Wilson P, Kleijnen J. The York review—a systematic review of public water fluoridation: a commentary
http://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/321/7265/855.full.pdf
°°°
National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia). A systematic review of the efficacy and safety of fluoridation
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/…/syn…/Eh41_Flouridation_PART_A.pdf
^
WHO report:
Petersen PE, Lennon MA. Effective use of fluorides for the prevention of dental caries in the 21st century: the WHO approach [PDF]. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2004;32(5):319–21. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0528.2004.00175.x. PMID 15341615.
^^^
Association, Wisconsin Dental. "Fluoridation in Europe". Wisconsin Dental Association - Oral & Dentistry Advocates | WDA.
https://www.wda.org/…/european-countries-have-rejected-fluo…
ˇ
What role does fluoride play in preventing tooth decay? (SCHER report)
http://ec.europa.eu/…/opinions…/fluoridation/en/l-3/5.htm#0
Here is a video of an expert from Netherlands from 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw3xbtS4vpM
ˇˇ
Other graphics:
Public Health report:
http://www.nwph.net/…/DPHEP%20for%20England%20OH%20Survey%2…
Fluoride map:
https://www.healthy-house.co.uk/water-fluoridation-map-uk
Disposable income by region
http://www.cityam.com/…/disposable-income-how-your-spending…
Prosperity by region of UK
https://wealth.barclays.com/…/resear…/uk-prosperity-map.html
Dental health by region from National Dental Epidemiology Programme for England: oral health survey of five-year-old children 2015 a report by Public Health England
http://www.nwph.net/…/DPHEP%20for%20England%20OH%20Survey%2…

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