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89
As stated above, water from one of these wells is used by the
Metropolitan Water Board to supplement the public water supply
and is subjected to daily tests by that Authority for purity and
palatability. Water from the other well is regularly tested by the
commercial firm concerned and, on occasions, control samples
from this latter well are taken by the Council's Public Health
Inspector for chemical and bacteriological examination.
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.
Five-year studies in three regions of Great Britain have established that artificial fluoridation of water in areas where it is
naturally deficient is effective as a preventive measure against
dental decay. Results were as follows:—
(a) Substantial improvement in teeth of young children in
areas of the studies.
(b) No evidence of any harmful effects despite the closest of
scrutinies.
(c) No difficulties were experienced in adding and maintaining
the fluoride content at the specified level.
(d) Results were in line with studies in other parts of the world.
Fluoridation is often opposed on the grounds that it is "mass
medication", but fluoride in some form or other is a natural
constituent of water and, when absorbed during the formative stages
of childhood, reduces dental decay substantially. Fluoridation is
merely a method of adjusting to an optimum level, where necessary,
the fluoride content of any water supply.
Very careful public enquiries have been carried out in a
number of countries and the W.H.O. Expert Committee on
Fluoridation has stated that it is a practical and effective public
health measure which has a marked caries-preventive action and
that there is no evidence that it impairs the general health. The
Minister of Health's Standing Dental and Medical Advisory
Committees have recommended that fluoridation be adopted in
England and Wales as soon as possible with a view to reducing
the extent of dental caries which is causing great concern particularly among children. Unfortunately the Metropolitan Water
Board, probably the biggest water supplier in the country since its
re-organisation, has "not had any opinion from local authorities
on the subject".
After 10 years experiment the Medical Officer of Health of
Watford has declared that it is a safe public health measure and,
despite active opposition, the move towards fluoridation is growing.