Call Made For Water Fluoridation In Fight Against Tooth Decay

Dentists in Manchester and the rest of the UK have come together to emphasise the importance of water fluoridation across the country in a bid to help prevent tooth decay in children.

According to a report conducted by the RCS Faculty of Dental Surgery, just ten per cent of the population in England currently benefit from a water supply where fluoride is either naturally or artificially at the appropriate level for good dental health.

And the organisation is now calling on the government to encourage all local councils to introduce fluoridation schemes in order to drive down the inequalities with regards to children’s oral health around the country.

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry figures suggest that approximately 90 per cent of dental caries are in fact preventable, so children, carers and parents are now being advised to keep their gums and teeth as healthy as possible.

Make sure that you register your child with a dentist as soon as their first teeth appear and ensure that you take them to see a qualified dentist at least once a year. Brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste for two minutes twice a day, supervising them until they are at least eight years old.

In addition, consider the food and drink your children are consuming and make sure they maintain a healthy diet. Limit their intake of acidic or sugary consumables to mealtimes and try to use sugar-free medicines wherever possible.

Those children with tooth decay that isn’t diagnosed early and treated effectively by primary care dentists may need to go to hospital for further care. If it is found that the teeth are too badly damaged, it may be necessary to take them out.