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68
Fluoridation of Water Supplies.—In recent years dental decay
has increased especially among the younger age groups and it
has been found that a minute quantity of fluorine assists the
formation of healthy teeth and reduces the incidence of decay.
Authoritatively, it is suggested that fluoridation of public water
supplies to the level of one p.p.m. of fluorine although not altering
the colour, taste or smell of the water, would be sufficient to reduce
the incidence of dental decay. This suggestion has raised a storm
of controversy, especially on the grounds of "mass medication" but
when one considers that water supplies in towns like Colchester,
Slough and South Shields already contain fluorine in excess of
this amount and that fluorine in chemical combination as fluoride
is found as a trace element in many foods such as vegetables, meat,
cereals, fruit, fish and tea etc., this objection cannot really be
sustained. Again, in some quarters fluoridation has been opposed
on grounds of expense, but it has been estimated that a reduction
of one—fifth in existing dental decay would more than justify the
cost.
In a five year experiment, improvements accruing in
areas selected for study as a lesult of the treatment of water
supplies by fluoride was most noticeable in those children who had
been subjected to such supplies for the whole or greater part of
their lives and with teeth which were calcified in that period.
Briefly, for children of 3 years there was a reduction in caries of
66 per cent., for 4—year—olds the reduction was 57 per cent, and for
the 5—year—olds it was 50 per cent. As expected, reductions recorded
in the 6— and 7—year—olds, were somewhat less, namely, 26 and 14
per cent, respectively. Control areas also showed reductions
but only of the order of 2 per cent, to 7 per cent, in a random
pattern.
Posssible adverse effects on health generally were countered
by requests to medical practitioners in the study areas to report
any cases suspected to be the result of fluoridation with specific
investigation into osteochondritis juvenalis of the spine, accumulation
of fluoride in the bones, mongolism, peptic ulcer, absenteeism
from school and a careful study of the vital statistics. In this
respect, the outcome was completely reassuring.
The results of the five year experiment can be considered a
complete vindication of the attitude taken up previously by the
dentists and, in consequence, the Minister of Health, in Circular
28/62, indicated that he was ready to approve under Section 28
of the National Health Service Act, 1946, the making of arrangements
by Councils with water undertakers for the addition of
fluoride to water supplies which are deficient in it naturally.