Once hailed as the enemy of tooth decay, fluoride now has as many detractors as advocates. So should it be added to our children's drinking water?

There is a widely held belief in this country that fluoride is good for teeth and, as a consequence, it is added to the water supply throughout the UK. In fact, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are fluoride-free and only about ten per cent of us have it added to our water.

Fluorosis and children
Pressure groups, such as the National Pure Water Association, point out that, far from being regarded as a health boon, fluoridation is banned by law in Sweden and Holland and most of the EU is fluoride-free. They also believe there are a number of health concerns, particularly for children, connected with fluoridation, including, ironically enough, a dental disease called fluorosis. This is a condition resulting from excess fluoride in the body that causes structural damage to the surface of the adult teeth before they have erupted. The results are, at best, unsightly, with yellow and brown staining but can also lead to pitting and a gradual loss of enamel. There is no cure except a lifetime of expensive and painful cosmetic dentistry.

Ireland is the only country in the EU where fluoridation is mandatory and 73 per cent of the population have it added to their water. Irish dentist Don MacAuley says: 'As a result of fluoridation over 40 per cent of my patients suffer from fluorosis. The tooth disfigurement that results from fluorosis mostly affects the developing adult teeth. These teeth develop underneath the baby teeth in the jaw. The fluoride damages these unerupted teeth and disturbs the forming enamel. This typically occurs from infancy to six to eight years old. Therefore, when the adult teeth come through the gum, the damage has already occurred.'

Babies are particularly vulnerable. According to Professor Hardy Limeback, Professor of Dentistry at the University of Toronto, 'Children under three should never use fluoridated toothpaste. Or drink fluoridated water. And baby formula should never be made up using fluoridated tap water.'

Other sources
The potential problems don't necessarily just affect those who live in fluoridated areas, either. Parents may still be advised to give their children fluoride supplements, in the form of drops or tablets, if their water is not fluoridated. There is also quite simply a lot more fluoride around now than there used to be. In foods such as soups or juices, produced in fluoridated areas, the likelihood is that the water used will contain fluoride. Tea is grown in Asia, where fluoride occurs at high levels naturally and this is taken up by the crop. Certain fish, such as salmon and sardines, contain fluoride, too.

At present, we cannot know what the result will be of this increased level of fluoride in our bodies and our environment. As the Principal Dental Officer of New Zealand, John Colquhoun, has said: 'Common sense should tell us if a poison circulating in a child's body can damage tooth-forming cells then other harm is likely.'

How to avoid fluoride
If you want to reduce your exposure to fluoride, there are a number of steps you can take:

Check your toothpaste A visit to your local health food shop should yield some toothpaste alternatives - nearly all the brands available in supermarkets and chemists contain fluoride. One based on aloe vera, called AloeDent, is available in health stores, one formula containing vitamin K, which has been shown to be effective in preventing tooth decay.

Get enough calcium The body retains more fluoride if you don't have enough calcium. Good sources are dairy produce, green vegetables and nuts. Reduce your tea intake to no more than two cups a day. Whenever possible, eat organic to reduce the amount of organ-fluorides and other fertilisers absorbed into fruit and vegetables and later into your body.

Fit a water filter If you think you may be living in a fluoridated area, check with your local health authority. If you are, you may want to consider a water filter. The countertop versions are not very effective in dealing with fluoride, but there are three principal types that are - ceramic cartridge, distillation unit or reverse osmosis - and they all require fitting to the kitchen tap. There are also whole house versions that filter fluoride (and other undesirables) out of your water so that you do not inhale or absorb them through the skin when you bathe or shower.

Resources
For further information on anti-fluoride campaign, contact the National Pure Water Association
For more information on water filters, contact the Fresh Water Filter Company on 020 8597 3223.