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water supplies in small amounts as a naturally occurring chemical
and the concentration varies from a mere trace to 14 parts or
more per million in some areas of the world. It is present in seawater
at a concentration of about 1 p.p.m. and it is also found in
many foods as a trace element.
England's highest concentrations in water occur in Essex, West
Mersea having 5.8 p.p.m., Burnham-on-Crouch and Maldon with
3.5 p.p.m. Areas having the lowest are found in Lancashire,
Yorkshire and South Devon where it is 0.1 p.p.m. or less. Thames
water contains, on an average, 0.15 p.p.m., similar to that found
in the Deptford Well Water.
However, there appears to be a mechanism in the body which
keeps the fluoride in the blood plasma at a level of between 0.14
and 0.19 p.p.m., and this occurs whether the water contains
virtually no fluoride or as much as 2.5 p.p.m.
In recent years dental decay has increased alarmingly especially
among the younger age groups. On an average, a five-year-old
child has at least five decayed teeth and in fact, at the age of
eleven only one child in every hundred has perfect teeth. Modern
research has discovered that a minute quantity of fluorine assists
the formation of healthy teeth and reduces the incidence of
decay.
A majority of local authorities served by the Metropolitan
Water Board favours fluoridation of water supplies as an effective
and efficient dental caries preventive measure but the Board will
not implement such a policy until it is satisfied that there is
unanimity among all concerned.
Objections to fluoridation, other than 'ethical', stem from the
mistaken idea, fostered by eccentrics that fluoride, artificially
introduced into water supply, is 'poisonous, gives rise to various
diseases, spoils beer, boosts the profits of aluminium companies,
etc., etc.', accusations which have never been substantiated under
strict examination. Indeed investigations carried out on behalf
of the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council for Research seems to
show that it has some preventive action in rheumatic diseases.
Furthermore, other experiments in Britain and the U.S.A. into
substantial and sustained doses of fluoride salts have shown that
there is little chance of any toxic effect from fluoridation of
water supplies. Investigations have indicated that with a fluoride
intake many times greater than the levels proposed for drinking
water, the fluoride content of the body cell fluids never rises
above an early peak of 2 p.p.m. The new research shows not
that a few parts per million of fluoride can be beneficial (this
has already been proved) but that it is almost impossible to