Fluoride the benefits
Fluoride
occurs naturally in our drinking water and some foods. Where
fluoride is present in our drinking water at a certain concentration
it confers a benefit to the tooth such that the enamel surface
of the tooth is much more resistant to tooth decay.
Research
studies of the teeth of children living in areas where the
concentration of fluoride in the drinking water is very low,
show that these children suffer more decay, toothache and
extractions than children from an area where the drinking
water contain optimum fluoride levels. Children in areas such
as the Crewe and Nantwich area and Birmingham have almost
half the levels of tooth decay than children from Liverpool,
Birkenhead and Manchester.
It
is not just the children that benefit, adults who have drunk
water containing the right level of fluoride, enjoy better
dental health than those who have never done so.
The
concentration of fluoride in water can be easily topped up
to provide the best results for teeth. The people responsible
are the water authorities and health authorities. By writing
to these authorities and our MP we should be able to help
decrease tooth decay in the future.
In
practice fluoridated water means: -
- Less
toothache
- Fewer
general anaesthetics for tooth extraction
- More
children keeping their permanent teeth into adulthood
- Better
looking teeth because they are not affected by decay.
For
more information contact:
The
British Fluoridation Society
Department of Clinical Dental Sciences
School of Dentistry University of Liverpool
P.O Box 147
Pembroke Place
Liverpool
L69 3DX
Tel: 0151 706 5216
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