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Johnson calls for more fluoride

03/02/2008

More fluoride should be added to the UK's water supplies, according to health secretary Alan Johnson.

He is to argue that fluoridation is an "effective and relatively easy way" to tackle dental problems experienced by children from disadvantaged areas.

Six million people in England receive water with added fluoride, with fluoridation carried out in Birmingham for more than 40 years.

Though critics say the chemical addition can damage teeth by tarnishing the enamel, the government plans to expand fluoridation across the country in a bid to focus on illness prevention as well as cure.

Mr Johnson is to announce the plans on Tuesday following Department of Health research which shows children in Manchester - where no fluoride is added to water - are twice as likely to have tooth decay as Birmingham youngsters.

"I want the NHS to do much more to prevent rather than just treat disease," he will announce.

"Fluoridation is an effective and relatively easy way to help address health inequalities, giving children from poorer backgrounds a dental health boost that can last a lifetime.

"We have a duty to help the areas with the worst record on tooth decay to discuss this issue and take the necessary steps to improve their dental health."

The move is supported by the British Dental Association which has claimed fluoridation would significantly reduce tooth decay among the nation's children.