Water fluoridation proposals cause dispute

A public consultation to help decide whether to increase the level of fluoride in the water in parts of Southampton and South West Hampshire has caused considerable controversy in the area.

The scheme would supply approximately 195,000 residents with fluoridated water following concerns from Southampton City Primary Care Trust (PCT) that dental health in the city is amongst the

worst in the country. It believes that raising the level of fluoride in the water supply from 0.08 parts per million to one part per million would significantly improve the dental health of

local people, particularly children. Members in the areas being consulted have expressed concern about claims circulated by anti-fluoridation lobbying, including that fluoridation causes

cancer. Images of people living in India and China who developed severe fluorosis after being exposed to unacceptably high levels of fluoride (which has no correlation with the level

proposed in the consultation) have also been circulated. The British Dental Association has welcomed the move towards fluoridation, supported by its Central Committee for Community and

Public Health Dentistry and has also encouraged its members to take part in the consultation. It says that the targeted addition of fluoride into water supplies can reduce oral health

inequalities and the incidence of tooth decay. In 2003 the Association, along with other healthcare organisations, supported an amendment to the Water Act 1991, which is now enacted in

England. This compels water companies to fluoridate water supplies where, following consultation with the local community, the strategic health authority requests it – Southampton is the

first PCT to consult. The three-month long consultation, which is being co-ordinated by South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA), concludes on 19 December and the SHA has organised a

series of question time debates on the topic, the last of which is due to take place on 3 December in St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, from 7pm-9pm (no ticket necessary). Speakers for

the proposition include England's Chief Dental Officer, while opponents will also be represented. Keith Percival, the Chairman of Hampshire's local dental committee said,

'Despite the adoption of several oral health promotion interventions in many of the areas being consulted, tooth decay remains a significant problem. It is therefore important that

dentists who support fluoridation take this opportunity to reassure people that this initiative is a safe and effective measure to improve the oral health of the whole community.' For

more information, a copy of the consultation document and details of the areas covered by the proposed scheme, visit http://www.southcentral.nhs.uk/fluoridation. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS

Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Water fluoridation proposals cause dispute. _Br Dent J_ 205, 527 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.1001 Download

citation * Published: 22 November 2008 * Issue Date: 22 November 2008 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.1001 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able

to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing

initiative