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.

There was no estimate of how often subjects brushed their teeth, whether they used fluoride toothpaste, mouthwash, or visited a dentist. The study did not mention how in the 1950s and 1960s many dentists encouraged young people to have all their teeth extracted for a shiny set of false teeth, whether they were decayed or not.

The researchers did not ascertain the level of consumption of tea among the adults participating in the study.

Tea contains fluoride at concentrations far in excess of tap water, and we, as a nation, are the highest consumers of tea in the world. In Ireland, tea, not water, is the main source of fluoride intake for adults.

Declan Waugh

Scientist and Fluoride Researcher

Riverview

Bandon

Co. Cork