Fluoridation of water is ' out-of-date' thinking

12.34.07pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 7th Dec 2006

Cllrs David Ward and Jeanette Sunderland say everyone should be able to register with an NHS dentist

Councillor David Ward, Chair of the Bradford North Area Committee has reacted angrily to proposals from the local Primary Care Trust to add fluoride to the water.

He said, " Fluoridation of water was massively rejected by the people of Bradford District last time it was proposed in 1993. Mass medication without consent through water supplies is clearly not acceptable to the vast majority of people.

This is out of date thinking by the PCT who are desperately trying to cover their failure to provide enough NHS dentists for everyone who wants one.

NHS dentistry combined with work in schools and public health information should be the key to better oral health for both adults and children.

Regular visits to the dentist will also pick up other problems like mouth cancer. The recent Mouth Cancer Awareness Week advised people to visit a dentist if they had any of the symptoms listed. But for about half of our residents, this is simply not possible. Using the NHS website I search all the local BD postcodes looking for a dentist. Not a single one was accepting new NHS patients.

The Primary Health Trusts should forget about unacceptable short cuts like fluoridation and concentrate on the real task of recruiting more NHS dentists."