DT News - UK - Fluoridation could save UK health system millions

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 17 March 2014

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REDDITCH – Artificial fluoridation of drinking water has been controversial as a public health measure worldwide. Now, the British Dental Association (BDA) has highlighted the benefits for oral health after a new study found that an extension of water fluoridation to areas with high levels of tooth decay could save the National Health Service (NHS) in England about £4 million (€4.8 million) annually on hospital admissions for tooth extractions.

In the study, consultants in public health compared hospital admissions for simple and surgical dental extractions between 2006 and 2009 in the largely fluoridated area of the West Midlands and the largely non-fluoridated area of North West England. They observed significant differences between the two areas and suggested that water fluoridation may be a significant contributor to the differential observed.

According to the study, over the three-year period, approximately 6,000 young patients up to the age of 19 were admitted annually for dental extractions in the North West, while only about 1,100 admissions were recorded per year in the West Midlands during that time. From these numbers, it appears that the prevalence of dental decay among children and adolescents in the non-fluoridated areas in the UK is greater compared with the largely fluoridated areas.

The investigators estimated that the cost for performing an extraction in a hospital ranged from £558 to £789, depending on the complexity of the procedure. Thus, they calculated that the total costs amounted to £4 million in the North West.

“This study is a powerful reminder of how water fluoridation saves the NHS money, and how whole populations can benefit from a huge improvement in their dental health,” said Dr Damien Walmsley, Professor of Restorative Dentistry at the University of Birmingham and Scientific Advisor to the BDA. “Overwhelmingly, studies have shown fluoridation to be a safe and effective measure for reducing high rates of tooth decay.”

According to the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks, small doses of fluoride when teeth are developing can help prevent tooth decay. Nevertheless, too much fluoride may be harmful, leading to discolouration and damage to teeth from fluorosis. It has been suggested that excess fluoride may have other negative health effects, the committee stated.

The study, titled “An alternative marker for the effectiveness of water fluoridation: Hospital extraction rates for dental decay, a two-region study”, was published online on 7 March in the British Dental Journal ahead of print.

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