As a member of the Medical Research Council’s working group on fluoridation, I strongly support the minister, Hazel Blears, when she said: “There is nothing in (the MRC’s) report to suggest any reason why water fluoridation should not be considered as a public health measure in areas where dental health remains a serious problem.”
The benefits of water fluoridation are clear. Children living in fluoridated Birmingham have outstanding dental health. This compares sharply with Manchester, where it is the worst in England.
In the United States, 47 of the 50 largest cities are now fluoridated and, most recently, a scheme has been approved to serve millions of Californians.
Michael Lennon
Professor of Dental Public Health and Chairman, British Fluoridation Society