The government is thinking about extending the scope of fluoridation programs. In England, the council fluoridates the drinking water for 10% of the population.
However, a recent study discovered that since fluoride toothpaste became widely accessible in the 1970s, the advantages of fluoridating water appear to have diminished.
Scholars from the universities of Manchester, Dundee, and Aberdeen examined 157 research examining the impact of fluoridation on community oral health.
When fluoride was added to drinking water by the government, the average number of teeth that were filled, decaying, or missing was decreased by two.
But as fluoride toothpaste became more readily accessible, the number decreased.
These days, it is comparable to a reduction of, on average, a “quarter of a tooth” that is filled, missing, or decaying.
The decision to expand that to include Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton, and Sunderland is presently being considered by the government.
