“The statement by the UK’s four Chief Medical Officers is a welcome endorsement of water fluoridation’s health benefits and safety from the most senior doctors in each nation of the United Kingdom.

Rotting teeth are not an inevitability and in children they are a tragedy.

Every day dental care professionals see tooth decay which could have been prevented.

There is strong evidence that fluoridation of water can could help reduce this common problem and tackle dental disease.

The Chief Medical Officers are right to point out that fluoridation is not a replacement for good oral hygiene. Nor will it spell “the end of dentistry” – the need for dental care across a whole range of oral and dental conditions will continue.

As the robust international evidence shows, water fluoridation is another public health tool that can reduce the incidence of tooth decay amongst adults and children – saving potentially thousands of teeth and improving oral health inequality in the process.

As the Chief Dental Officer, I strongly believe that water fluoridation can benefit the nation’s oral health.”

Sara Hurley
Chief Dental Officer for England