Should fluoride be added to water?
Updated on 05 February 2008
Health Secretary Alan Johnson wants to add fluoride to the water supply all over Britain to improve dental health.
Around 6 million people in Britain already have fluoride added to their tap water and there is evidence to suggest children in those areas have healthier teeth.
Water has been fluoridated in Birmingham for 40 years and the Department of Health says children there are 50 per cent less likely to have tooth decay than in Manchester.
A York University study in 2000 found water fluoridation increased the number of children without tooth decay by 15 per cent.
But critics say adding fluoride can cause fluorosis, where teeth become stained and pitted, and has even been linked to bone cancer.
Mr Johnson said: "I want the NHS to do much more to prevent rather than just treat disease.
"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."
