A proposal by the South Central Strategic Health Authority to fluoridate water supplies in Southampton and parts of South West Hampshire has received the backing of the British Dental Association (BDA).
The BDA has written to the organisation expressing strong support for its plan as it believes that fluoridation of the water supply at the proposed one part per million is a safe and effective method of reducing dental decay in people of all ages and from all social backgrounds.
According to the World Health Organization, the level of dental caries falls from seven at a fluoride concentration of 0.1mg to around 3.5 at a fluoride concentration of 1.0mg, i.e. one part per million.
Professor Damien Walmsley, the BDA’s Scientific Adviser, commented: "The BDA bases its support for the proposed scheme on solid research. This has been carried out nationally and internationally."
"On a local level we have looked at the impact of fluoridation on the dental health of people living in Birmingham and found that five-year-olds in Britain's second largest city have half the rate of tooth decay as their peers in Southampton where it isn't fluoridated."
He added: "I believe that if fluoridation were introduced in Southampton it could play a major role in helping to reduce the high rates of tooth decay there as it makes teeth more resistant to disease."
