Hull City Council moves towards water fluoridation
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- Published: Monday, 24 October 2016 07:38
- Written by News Editor
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Following Hull City Council receiving a draft feasibility report which indicates it is technically possible to fluoridate community water supplies in Hull at the recommended levels, the Hull City Council is looking at the possibility of introducing water fluoridation. After a meeting of the Scrutiny Committee in November, a decision will be made on whether to proceed with fluoridation, if so a full public consultation will take place. The Local Dental Committee has been working with local and national bodies to introduce the measure. They said: “We need some help if we are to reduce the dental health burden in Hull and reduce dental health inequalities in our City.”
The Local Dental Committee says it is completely committed to working with the Hull City Council, the city’s Public Health Department, Health and Wellbeing Board and city councillors, the Hull CCG, the British Dental Association (BDA) and the British Fluoridation Society (BFS), the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD), the Oral Health Foundation and the Dental faculty of the Royal College of Surgeons and others to deliver water fluoridation for the people of Hull.
In a message to local dentists it said: “This is a real opportunity to make a difference. In spite of all our hard work treating dental decay and all our efforts on prevention we are still faced with high levels of disease. We need some help if we are to reduce the dental health burden in Hull and reduce dental health inequalities in our City. The LDC has been working with other bodies since December 2014 to get to this current point. From now until the end of the process this will need to become a huge team effort.”
Hull City Council has issued the following statement: “Following receipt of a draft feasibility report which indicates that fluoridating community water supplies in Hull at the recommended levels would be technically possible, Hull City Council is now exploring the possibility of introducing water fluoridation in Hull. Following a meeting of the Scrutiny Committee in November, a decision will be made on whether to pursue this further.
“With advice from Public Health England (PHE), discussions are ongoing with all relevant parties to identify the potential costs and the exact extent of any residents that would be affected from local authorities outside of Hull. If a decision is made to proceed with fluoridation, a full public consultation will be included in the process.
“These proposals are just one element of Hull’s Oral Health Plan, which also includes a significant amount of work already underway with organisations, professionals and agencies across the city, including Hull CCG, midwives, children’s centres, schools and health visitors to improve infant feeding practises, tackle underlying bottle culture, increase breastfeeding rates, reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and snacks and encourage regular tooth brushing with a fluoride based toothpaste”.
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