Should fluoride be added to the Cheshire water supply?

Feb 2 2011 by Allison Dickinson, Chester Chronicle

CREWE is the only place in Cheshire to have fluoride added to drinking water.

According to the British Fluoridation Society, 4,700 people have it added to their water supply, though it is incorrectly identified as being in West Cheshire.

A spokesman for NHS Western Cheshire said: “We can confirm that West Cheshire residents do not receive any water which has been artificially fluoridated.

“The North West Strategic Health Authority is the body that would decide whether to have water fluoridation and such a move would only happen following a widespread public consultation under the water act 2003.”

Yvonne Dailey, consultant for dental public health said: “Water fluoridation is one possible intervention to improve dental health but there is a lot to consider.

“We will continue to review the evidence for water fluoridation, but suggest that the public can improve their dental health by restricting sugary snacks and drinks to mealtimes only, using a family fluoride toothpaste, twice a day, and spitting out the excess, rather than rinsing.”

Fluoridation of water supply has been in the news recently after a Southampton resident launched legal action on January 19 to appeal against the 2009 decision by the South Central Strategic Health Authority (SCSHA) to fluoridate supply in Southampton.