The British Dental Association (BDA) has welcomed the decision to allow fluoride to be added to the water supply in Southampton and parts of South West Hampshire.
A High Court Judge yesterday ruled that the South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) could go ahead with its proposed plan to fluoridate water in the area after rejecting a challenge to the planned fluoridation scheme.
Hampshire council, along with around two thirds of residents, have voiced their concerns over the move, claiming that it could potentially be harmful.
However the BDA, along with local dentists, have backed the scheme as they believe that fluoridation will play an important role in improving oral health and reducing the alarmingly high rates of dental decay in the region, where as many as 42 per cent of five-year olds have experienced tooth decay .
According to the BDA, more than 520 children in Southampton were required general anaesthetic to have a total of 2,900 teeth extracted in 2007, despite a range of oral health measures used by the city’s primary care trust to tackle the problem of tooth decay and address other health inequalities.
Commenting on Mr Justice Holman’s decision, BDA Scientific Adviser Professor Damien Walmsley said: "The BDA is pleased with the result because it is likely to encourage consultation on similar schemes in other parts of the country where fluoride could help address the poor dental health of the population."
"A recent European summary of the latest scientific evidence reiterated the view that water fluoridation is a safe and effective method of reducing oral health inequalities."
