Fluoridation of the whole water supply

Fluoridation reduces instances of dental decay and dental disease. It dramatically improves the dental health of the population and smooths out any geographical variation that may currently exist. If a national decision was made to implement fluoridation across all water supplies, this could have large implications for the dental workforce.

Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel which makes it more resistant to tooth decay, and it also reduces the amount of acid that the bacteria on your teeth produce. These factors are very beneficial for dental health and, as a result, fluoride is already added to the water supply in the UK. The addition of fluoride to water has been researched for over 50 years, and water fluoridation has been proven to reduce decay by 40-60%. However, the amount of fluoride currently added to water supplies varies geographically and only a few areas add enough fluoride to the water to benefit dental health. Children living in areas where water supplies are less fluorinated can have 5 times more decay that those living in other areas, which creates significant “dental inequalities”.

Opponents of fluoridation claim they have firm evidence that fluoride added to water is harmful. However, scientific analysis has not supported their claims. If a decision was made to add more fluoride to the water supply, this could significantly improve the dental health of younger generation. However, this could, over time, reduce the demand for dentists.

Sources or references

• CfWI Horizon Scanning Report: Informing dental student intakes
• http://www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-about/topic/sundry/fluoride

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.