I don’t swallow findings on water fluoridation

I wish to comment on the headline “Drink fluoride to keep teeth in old age” ( Irish Examiner, March 10). The article was based on a recent study on the effects of water fluoridation on the dental health of older people and was conducted by Trinity College Dublin. 

The study estimated that 85% of households in Ireland are provided with fluoridated water. It found that if the country was non-fluoridated, the proportion of people over 50 years with their all own teeth would be 8.6%, compard to 10.4% currently. That’s a difference of 1.8%, which is insignificant.

The study made no attempt to establish the exposure of adults to fluoride, and no analysis was performed on urinary or blood samples to determine fluoride intake.