The British Dental Association has come out with their manifesto - see below the section that repeats much nonsense about fluoride eg:- about Manchester and Birmingham - in fact the best areas for tooth health in the UK are not fluoridated at all. The quote by BDA is also misleading as it does not take into account for instance the greater expenditure on dental care in the Birmingham area, not does it quote the age range of the sample of children chosen. The longer term effects of fluoridation may not be visible immediately. Even the Government's own review says the evidence is not conclusive.
- the so-called consultation they mentioned ignored the vast majority of people - thousands of people and Councils clearly stated they didn't want fluoride added - indeed 72% of the people who responded to the public consultation on the Southampton scheme opposed it - how can they say it gained much local support? I'm afraid that is a bare faced lie.
- lastly they talk about recognising the benefits - again the Government's own review says more research is needed. Chair, Professor Sheldon, stated that "the review did not show water fluoridation to be safe".
I wont repeat all the arguments here suffice to say the BDA are one again spinning their nonsense.
5. Stop the rot: harness the potential of fluoride to prevent tooth decay Fluoridated water has the potential to reduce significantly the number of children in the UK who needlessly suffer tooth decay. Two areas of Britain, the West Midlands and some of the East Coast, already enjoy the benefit of fluoride in their water supplies. In non-fluoridated Manchester, five-year-old children suffer approximately three times as much tooth decay as their peers in Birmingham. The Water Act in 2003 recognised the positive contribution fluoride makes to improving dental health, placing the onus on water companies to fluoridate their water supplies where local consultation supported the implementation of the measure. In 2008 South Central Strategic Health Authority carried out consultations on proposals to introduce fluoride to water supplies in Southampton and South West Hampshire. Despite gaining much local support, progress on the proposal stalled, pending a judicial review of the decision. The government that is elected in 2010 must recognise the contribution fluoride makes to preventing tooth decay, pledge to support strategic health authorities who wish to consult their residents on proposals to introduce fluoridation, and back evidence-based, targeted schemes such as fluoride varnishing.
