Is there fluoride in my water supply?
How to check if your water supply is fluoridatedYou can find out if your water supply is fluoridated to the optimum level by selecting your region and water company below.
Some water companies have not been instructed by any local authorities to add fluoride to any of their water supply. For companies that have been instructed to add fluoride, you should follow the link provided and look up your postcode to check your local water supply.
Since the early 1900s we have been aware that areas with higher levels of fluoride naturally occurring in the water supply have much lower rates of tooth decay. In 1945 we started to use that knowledge to fluoridate water supplies to help prevent tooth decay.
The evidence shows that water fluoridation at just 1 molecule of fluoride to 1 million molecules of water (1ppm) is a proven effective, cheap and safe way to reduce dental decay.
Water fluoridation can help avoid:
Water fluoridation can also help save money and so stretch the NHS budget further. All NHS dental treatment in the UK is currently subsidised by public funds. Even when non-exempt adults pay NHS dental charges, the NHS ‘tops-up’ your payment to cover the true cost of your treatment. Every £1 spent on water fluoridation can save around £22 over 10 years by helping to avoid the need for treatment. As well as freeing up the NHS budget this would free up NHS dentists’ time so they can help more people access an NHS dentist.
Is water fluoridation safe? Yes.
Despite numerous conspiracy theories and claims of links to almost every conceivable condition known to medicine, water fluoridation has been researched and reviewed many times by many different groups of scientists from many countries and repeatedly found to be very safe.
Fluoride occurs naturally in water to varying amounts and humans have been drinking naturally fluoridated water for centuries. At the correct level of 1 molecule of fluoride to 1 million molecules of water, there are no known adverse affects beyond tooth staining (called dental fluorosis).
Research has also shown there is no chemical or biological difference between naturally and artificially fluoridated water.
Why isn’t all the water fluoridated?
Despite the science supporting fluoridation of drinking water, 72% of the population in England do not have access to fluoridated water.
Currently, a health authority wishing to fluoridate public water supplies must hold a public consultation exercise and take its outcome into consideration before proceeding with any new fluoridation scheme.
Ever wishing to be very accurate with healthcare messages, scientists are notoriously bad at communicating to the public. In the infamous words of Michael Gove “the people of this country have had enough of experts“. Sensational conspiracy theories are unfortunately more appealing and entertaining than accurate scientific messages.
It has proven difficult for dentists and scientists to shout louder than than conspiracy theorists in order to gain public support for water fluoridation.
Hope for more water fluoridation in the futureThe Health and Care Bill, currently passing through parliament, sets out a proposal to streamline the process for fluoridating water by moving the responsibility from local councils to central government. Under these new proposals, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care would have the power to directly introduce, vary or terminate water fluoridation schemes. There would however still be a requirement for drawn-out and expensive public consultations and feasibility studies before introduction of new schemes. As the British Dental Association points out, there is currently no promise of the capital investment required to fund a successful rollout.
What can I do to help get my water supply fluoridated?There are three things you can do to help get your water supply fluoridated:
Text and further advice via dentalchoices.org
How to check if your water supply is fluoridatedYou can find out if your water supply is fluoridated to the optimum level by selecting your region and water company below.
Some water companies have not been instructed by any local authorities to add fluoride to any of their water supply. For companies that have been instructed to add fluoride, you should follow the link provided and look up your postcode to check your local water supply.
- Which region do you live in?
- North England
- Central and Eastern England
- London and South East England
- Western England
Since the early 1900s we have been aware that areas with higher levels of fluoride naturally occurring in the water supply have much lower rates of tooth decay. In 1945 we started to use that knowledge to fluoridate water supplies to help prevent tooth decay.
The evidence shows that water fluoridation at just 1 molecule of fluoride to 1 million molecules of water (1ppm) is a proven effective, cheap and safe way to reduce dental decay.
Water fluoridation can help avoid:
- children being hospitalised for dental extractions under general anaesthesia (by 45 to 68%) and the associated risk of death (always associated with any general anesthesia)
- pain and infection caused by dental decay to children and adults
- sick days off school and work caused by toothaches and infections
- time taken off school and work to attend the dentist for treatment
- the unpleasantness of receiving dental treatment
- the personal financial burden of dental treatment for adults
Water fluoridation can also help save money and so stretch the NHS budget further. All NHS dental treatment in the UK is currently subsidised by public funds. Even when non-exempt adults pay NHS dental charges, the NHS ‘tops-up’ your payment to cover the true cost of your treatment. Every £1 spent on water fluoridation can save around £22 over 10 years by helping to avoid the need for treatment. As well as freeing up the NHS budget this would free up NHS dentists’ time so they can help more people access an NHS dentist.
Is water fluoridation safe? Yes.
Despite numerous conspiracy theories and claims of links to almost every conceivable condition known to medicine, water fluoridation has been researched and reviewed many times by many different groups of scientists from many countries and repeatedly found to be very safe.
Fluoride occurs naturally in water to varying amounts and humans have been drinking naturally fluoridated water for centuries. At the correct level of 1 molecule of fluoride to 1 million molecules of water, there are no known adverse affects beyond tooth staining (called dental fluorosis).
Research has also shown there is no chemical or biological difference between naturally and artificially fluoridated water.
Why isn’t all the water fluoridated?
Despite the science supporting fluoridation of drinking water, 72% of the population in England do not have access to fluoridated water.
Currently, a health authority wishing to fluoridate public water supplies must hold a public consultation exercise and take its outcome into consideration before proceeding with any new fluoridation scheme.
Ever wishing to be very accurate with healthcare messages, scientists are notoriously bad at communicating to the public. In the infamous words of Michael Gove “the people of this country have had enough of experts“. Sensational conspiracy theories are unfortunately more appealing and entertaining than accurate scientific messages.
It has proven difficult for dentists and scientists to shout louder than than conspiracy theorists in order to gain public support for water fluoridation.
Hope for more water fluoridation in the futureThe Health and Care Bill, currently passing through parliament, sets out a proposal to streamline the process for fluoridating water by moving the responsibility from local councils to central government. Under these new proposals, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care would have the power to directly introduce, vary or terminate water fluoridation schemes. There would however still be a requirement for drawn-out and expensive public consultations and feasibility studies before introduction of new schemes. As the British Dental Association points out, there is currently no promise of the capital investment required to fund a successful rollout.
What can I do to help get my water supply fluoridated?There are three things you can do to help get your water supply fluoridated:
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Share your thoughts on water fluoridation online and in real life with your friends and family.
Text and further advice via dentalchoices.org
