They never give up trying to force fluoride down our throats

MPs urge dentists to back move for water fluoridation

Jo Churchill MP called on dentists and dental professionals to back water fluoridation at the inaugural Conservative Dentists meeting last night.

The meeting was a chance for dentists and those in the profession to discuss future dental care for children.

During the meeting, conversation turned to water fluoridation after it was mentioned in a recent parliamentary debate.

‘Water fluoridation is the quickest and easiest way to improve our oral health,’ Jo Churchill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care, said.

‘But we would really like your (the dental profession’s) help.

‘We need dentists to talk to their patients about the benefits of water fluoridation.

‘We need to move the dial, so the next generation can benefit from great oral health.’

A ‘unique opportunity’ for water fluoridation

Along with Ms Churchill, Sara Hurley and Sir Paul Beresford MP also made a plea for dentists to back fluoridation.

Ms Hurley also highlighted the disconnect with medical colleagues, explaining we need to put the mouth back in the body.

She pointed out if you invest in the smile, you invest in better overall health, and GPs don’t always understand this.

‘We’ve had some successes,’ Sir Paul Beresford MP, Conservative MP for Mole Valley and practising dentist, concluded.

‘But at the moment there’s an atmosphere that we can push through water fluoridation in this government.

‘We have a unique opportunity.

‘Let’s grab it.’

Conservative Dentists

The Conservative Dentists event launched due to a lack of representation for dentists within any political part.

The aim of the group is to form a bridge between the dental and political worlds.

Delegates had the opportunity to raise issues with MPs and highlight the issues concerning them within dentistry.

‘Many of the values of the Conservative Party align with dentists,’ Sejal Bhansali, chair of the Conservative Dentists group, said.

‘Namely we take personal responsibility, we are innovative, business minded, entrepreneurial and believe in education.

‘Oral health is incredibly important and there is strong evidence to link oral diseases, with a number of systemic disease.

‘Oral diseases are 99% preventable.

‘Yet it is the third most expensive health condition behind diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

‘We think early intervention is important for children’s health.

‘That is when we form most of our habits.’