Neel Kothari considers whether the dental profession might be over-exaggerating the benefits of water fluoridation and downplaying its risks. There is no doubt that exposure to the fluoride ion has been a paradigm shift in reducing the impact of tooth decay across the world. Put simply, it reduces the critical pH of tooth structures and […]
News Archive
Welcome to the Fluoride Action Network News Archive. The FAN News Archive serves as an historical repository for fluoride news stories, positive or negative. Since FAN catalogs all news stories on fluoride, our news section remains a reliable database of all published fluoride news.
Our news database is categorized by country, state/province, and industry. This collection of articles is constantly being updated with the most recent global news on fluoride-related issues and events.
Water fluoridation expansion given green light
The Government has announced the largest expansion of water fluoridation in England since the 1980s, aiming to reach an additional 1.6 million people across the North East. The initiative is designed to tackle tooth decay, particularly in deprived areas where dental health inequalities are most pronounced. Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, has been shown to […]
Water fluoridation expansion plans confirmed
About 1.6 million more people will have their water supply fluoridated, the government has confirmed. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it would introduce fluoridation to more areas of north-east England. The plans had been out for public consultation last year. The DHSC said it hoped the move would cut the number […]
Sadiq Khan is being urged to add fluoride to London’s drinking water
For hundreds of years, making it to adulthood with a full set of teeth was a privilege. Oral healthcare was next to non-existent until the late 1800s, so keeping a full set of gnashers your whole life was basically like winning the lottery. These days it’s much easier to maintain your pearly whites, in no […]
Health bosses want fluoride in Worcestershire’s water
Around half of the county’s water is currently fluoridated, a public health measure intended to prevent tooth decay. According to the British Fluoridation Society, schemes to bring fluoride levels up to the recommended amount in parts of the county took place between 1970 and 1991. But areas including Worcester, Kidderminster, Stourport and the Malvern Hills […]
Does water fluoridation cause childhood IQ loss?
New research found ‘significant inverse associations’ between fluoride exposure and children’s IQ scores, calling the safety of water fluoridation into question. The study estimates that for every 1mg/L increase in urinary fluoride, a child’s IQ decreases by 1.63 points. Lead author Kyla Taylor said this is a ‘statistically significant association’ between fluoride exposure and lowered […]
Water fluoridation and dental health: 2024 update
Overview • Dental health is a significant public health concern with approximately 31,165 hospital admissions of children to extract decayed teeth in 2022- 23. The estimated cost to the NHS of all tooth extractions in children is £40.7 million per year, most of which result from avoidable tooth decay. • Although dental health has improved […]
The US is sounding the alarm on fluoride in drinking water – what’s the story in the UK?
Donald Trump’s government will likely push for the complete removal of fluoride from public water – a practice that has been going for 60 years to counter tooth decay. But what is fluoride, and why are some now campaigning against its use? The debate around whether fluoride should be added to tap water is not […]
Rutland County Council explains full process before water fluoridation can be implemented
In a proposal put forward by Rutland County Councillors is calling for fluoride to be added back into the drinking water to combat the county’s growing dental issues and mass lack of access to NHS dentists. The proposal, which was put forward by Cllr Abigail West and Cllr Mark Chatfield on 21st November, was voted on […]
Rutland Council put forward proposal to add fluoride to water due to dental access issues
A motion to look at putting fluoride into drinking water to combat the county’s growing dental issues will be discussed this week. Liberal Democrat backbench councillors Abigail West and Mark Chatfield are proposing that the wider council backs them in a call for the local authority to approach the health secretary about the move. Both […]