Welsh Dental Committee Calls For Water Fluoridation

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The Welsh Dental Committee has called for water fluoridation in order to improve standards of oral health. The chairman of the committee has questioned the commitment of the Welsh Government to improve standards of oral health as a result of a failure to fluoridate water supplies.

The Welsh Dental Committee, which is responsible for advising the government, is one of a number of public health bodies supporting water fluoridation as a means of reducing rates of tooth decay.

The National Oral Health Plan was launched in Cardiff recently following the release of new figures, which suggest that 41 per cent of five year olds in Wales have at least four teeth that are decayed, filled or missing.

The new plan sets out initiatives to promote preventative oral healthcare and reduce inequalities between different regions and it also reiterates that the Welsh Government will not be adding fluoride to water supplies.

So far, 61 people or organisations have responded to the consultation and more than a dozen of those have highlighted the need for water fluoridation, which experts believe is a highly effective means of reducing the risk of tooth decay.

Karl Bishop, chairman of the Welsh Dental Committee, wrote that the committee is disappointed that the government is not considering water fluoridation and this stance has made experts question their commitment to improving standards of oral health and tackling decay in Wales.

Gill Richardson, director of public health at Aneurin Bevan Health Board, said that “denying children fluoridated water denies them an intervention as effective as immunisation.” She also added that fluoridation would be a cost-effective measure in the long-term, as fewer children would require complex dental treatment.

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March 26th, 2013 at 08:47 PM
jwillie6 Says :

Topical application of fluoride may help children’s teeth, but large scientific studies show that swallowed fluoride is of no value.
However, even if it were good for children’s teeth, why would an adult want to take this poisonous fluoride chemical in every glass of water, every day for the rest of their life? 50% of all you consume builds up in the body, in the glands, the brain and the bones. This results in cancer, thyroid & pineal gland damage, broken hips from brittle bones, lowered IQ, kidney disease, arthritis and other serious health problems.