Water fluoridation confers modest benefit to children’s dental health, study finds

Adding fluoride to drinking water supplies produces a modest reduction in dental caries, according to a seven year government funded study.1The benefits are, however, smaller than shown in previous studies, carried out 50 years ago before fluoride toothpaste became widely available.Nevertheless, the researchers argue in Public Health Research that because tooth decay occurs disproportionately among disadvantaged communities it should be considered alongside other more targeted measures.The results will add to the ongoing debate surrounding water fluoridation schemes. The Health and Care Bill, currently going through parliament, sets out changes to the water fluoride legislation in England.2 If it becomes law, the bill will allow the secretary of state, instead of local authorities, to establish new water fluoridation schemes or to vary or terminate existing ones in England.The Catfish study compared the dental health of two cohorts of young children in west Cumbria, where water fluoridation was reintroduced in 2013, and…
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