Fluoride. It\u2019s always been a controversial subject. As a dentist, it\u2019s one of the questions I\u2019m asked most.\u00a0\u201cDo you think it\u2019s right to have it in drinking water?\u201d<\/p>\n
Well, as it happens I do. When you take a good look at the facts I think you\u2019ll see why.<\/p>\n
Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally. It is actually an entirely natural component of bone. It\u2019s found in certain foods such as tea and fish, as well as in water. The amount varies according to where you live.<\/p>\n
In the early 20th century, it was discovered that lower levels of tooth decay corresponded with certain levels of fluoride in drinking water. This led to fluoride being added to toothpastes.<\/p>\n
From a dental point of view, fluoride\u2019s a really good weapon to fight tooth decay. Even now, tooth decay is one of the most common reasons children are admitted to hospital. Decay occurs when acid, produced by bacteria in plaque when you eat sugary foods, attacks the surface of your teeth. Fluoride disrupts this process.\u00a0It\u00a0changes the structure of developing enamel to make it more resistant and reducing plaque\u2019s ability to produce acid.<\/p>\n
There are other ways to use fluoride against decay. For example,\u00a0mouthwash, gel, and tablets. there is\u00a0even a varnish that can be painted onto teeth to help protect them. But it was the introduction of fluoridation schemes \u2013 adding fluoride to local drinking water to bring it up to the optimum level to prevent decay of about 1 ppm (parts per million) \u2013 that has caused most controversy.<\/p>\n
Birmingham was first area to add fluoride in the 1960s. Other parts of\u00a0 the Midlands, the North West, North East, Yorkshire and The Humber quickly followed on. Abroad, fluoridation is popular in the US and Australia, but less so in Europe.<\/p>\n
Mass fluoridation has always\u00a0attracted controversy. Many people don\u2019t like the idea of \u2018health by stealth\u2019, seeing it as a little bit \u2018Big Brother\u2019; and I can totally understand that. Others claim fluoride is harmful. And like many substances it can be dangerous, but not in the miniscule quantities we\u2019re talking about here.<\/p>\n
In fact, there\u2019s no medical evidence of\u00a0it having any harmful side effects, and this is after more than 60 years of research. But there\u2019s plenty of evidence for its benefits. According to the British Dental Health Foundation, adding fluoride to water has been proven to reduce decay by 40 to 60%, while fluoride in toothpaste has reduced it by up to 50%. And as recently as 2014, Public Health England (PHE) found that in fluoridated areas, 45% fewer children were admitted to hospital with dental problems while levels of general tooth decay were 15% lower for five-year-olds and 11% lower for 12-year-olds.<\/p>\n