£42m dental money wasted

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£42m dental money wasted
February 11, 2008
Dianne Standen
News & Star

NOW Alan Johnson has announced that he is prepared to pour £42million of NHS money down the drain by financing new fluoridation schemes Cumbrian residents who are not currently fluoridated may find they will soon be receiving hexafluorosilic acid, a by product of the fertiliser industry, in their water.

Health authorities, who continually refer to water fluoridation as an adjustment of the fluoride naturally found at low levels in some areas, will be reluctant to inform the public that the hexafluorosilic acid used to fluoridate contains trace elements of arsenic, lead, cadnium and mercury.

Amongst those who support the use of fluoride there is also the question as to whether drinking fluoride is the best way to tackle decay.

Applying it to the teeth through toothpaste is believed to be far more effective.

It also has the advantage in that it gives the population choice.

£42 million would go a long way to providing dental care, diet advice and free toothpaste to those known to be at risk of early dental decay. At least the communities in proposed new schemes will have the prospect of a consultation to determine support for water fluoridation.

That opportunity has been refused for people such as those in West Cumbria who have had this imposed upon them for over 30 years now.

However the consultation appears to mostly consist of informing the media and local authorities of a proposal to fluoridate.

We can only suggest that others look at information from a wide variety of sources including our website www.cumbrians-against-fluoridation.org.uk and ensure they are 100 per cent confident about using fluoridated water.