New research demonstrates potential benefits of fluoridation

Standards of UK oral health could be elevated by the widespread fluoridation of drinking water, according to a new study.

Published in the journal Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, the study suggested that adding advised levels of fluoride to drinking water would improve children's dental health and alleviate the burden on the NHS, while having no negative effects on overall health.

Examining areas where fluoridation schemes are already in place, it was found that people living in these areas had 55 per cent fewer admissions for tooth extractions than those which did not.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said: "This new research reinforces what we have known for a long time regarding the benefits that fluoride can have on children's teeth."

This discovery is potentially important, as tooth decay is by far the leading cause of hospitalisation among primary school children at the moment. The NHS spends 30 million pounds a year on hospital-based tooth extractions for children as a result.