North East water fluoridation expansion plans confirmed
About 1.6 million more people will have their water supply fluoridated, the government has confirmed.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it would introduce fluoridation to more areas of north-east England. The plans had been out for public consultation last year.
The DHSC said it hoped the move would cut the number of children admitted to hospital for tooth decay operations. The British Dental Association (BDA) said it “welcomed” the move.
Dr Lucy O’Malley at the University of Manchester said the scheme would likely benefit children but there was no evidence water fluoridation reduced oral health inequalities.
This meant other measures needed to be put in place as well, she said.
Alongside its plans to increase water fluoridation in the North East, DHSC also announced a major nationwide supervised toothbrushing scheme.
Prof Anne-Marie Glenny, also from the University of Manchester, said the widespread availability of fluoride toothpaste made the impact of fluoridating water less significant.
“While this effect is less than in the past and may not be felt on an individual level, this still may represent an important population level effect,” she said.
She said fluoridating water supplies should be considered against costs and potential harms, and fluoride levels should be “actively” monitored.
Northumbrian Water has been supplying artificially fluoridated water since the late 1960s to Chester-le-Street, Consett, and Stanley in County Durham, Alnwick, Hexham and Cramlington in Northumberland and parts of North Tyneside, Newcastle and Gateshead.
DHSC will now expand the scheme to Darlington, Durham, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton, Sunderland and areas not currently covered in Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland and North Tyneside.
The body said about one in 10 people in England currently had fluoride added to their water supplies.
It did not say when this new North East expansion would occur.
The government previously said for every £1 spent on water fluoridation in the area, it expected to save £13 after five years.
The BDA said the scheme would provide a “very strong return on investment” and the government needed to “double down” to safeguard dental health.
This included “mandatory action” on the marketing, labelling and reformulation of sugary food and drink, it said.
