Millions more Brits will get fluoride added to their tap water

[Oggiman]

Millions more Brits will get fluoride added to tap water in a Government plan to improve their oral health.

Revealed as part of the Government's long-awaited dental recovery plan the fluoride expansion will see an initial 1.6million people having the mineral added to their drinking supply.

Areas included in the initial expansion are Northumberland, Teesside, Durham and South Tyneside, though there will be a consultation. And more could be on the way with ministers saying their long-term ambition is to bring fluoride to more of the country with a 'particular focus' on deprived areas.

Fluoride is natural mineral that boots dental health by helping strengthen the hard outer protective layer of teeth, called the enamel, which in turn protect the tooth from damage and wear and tear.

Full Story HERE

 

[D 8 RCS]

Already have Fluoride added to our water supply, you run your tap and it smells like being at the swimming pool and I don't know if it is just the smell alters your senses but the taste is not that nice. If I drink dilute juice then I have to put in at least double to make the taste palatable. As for improving dental health, the smell and taste puts you off drinking tap water so in my opinion that negates any dental health improvements.

 

[Oggiman]

........If I drink dilute juice then I have to put in at least double to make the taste palatable.

So add more sugar to improve the taste


FURTHER:

Dental experts have praised new plans to add the mineral fluoride to the drinking water of an estimated 1.6 million people living in the North East in the biggest expansion of water fluoridation in the past four decades.

Greenlighted by government ministers as part of the NHS Dental Recovery Plan, the intention is to improve the oral health of some of the most deprived communities in the UK.

David Conway, a professor of dental public health at the University of Glasgow, feels the move is crucial for reducing inequalities in oral health particularly given the current strain on dental surgeries.

There are believed to be around 7.3 million people in the UK who currently live in areas where fluoride is currently added to tap water, but there has been little expansion of the scheme since the 1980s.

“The state of access to dentistry across the UK is really challenging,” says Conway. “Our response has to not only be about the service, which is obviously a priority to ensure people can access the treatment they urgently need, but to take a bit of a longer-term view and to think about prevention. Fluoride is a key part of the preventive strategy for reducing dental caries, improving oral health, and reducing demand for care.”

 

[albob]

I've had fluoride in my local water for many years : I haven't noticed any smell or taste.
As a personal note - I will never pay for bottled water when Tap Water is just fine...

 

[D 8 RCS]

A

I've had fluoride in my local water for many years : I haven't noticed any smell or taste.
As a personal note - I will never pay for bottled water when Tap Water is just fine...

As I said the water we get smells strongly of fluoride, but I am still like you in that I will not pay for bottled water when there is a tap available. I pay enough in water rates without increasing the bill by drinking bottled water. Also bottled water can often be held in storage for over a year before reaching the shelves, maybe that's why they have found so many plastic microparticles in it.