Water fluoridation is less effective than in the past, study reveals

A team of researchers from the Universities of Manchester, Dundee, and Aberdeen reviewed the evidence from 157 studies comparing communities that had fluoride added to their water supplies with communities that had no additional fluoride in their water. They found that the benefit of fluoridation had declined since the 1970s when fluoride toothpaste became more widely available.

The contemporary studies were conducted in high-income countries. The impact of community water fluoridation in low- and middle-income countries is less clear, due to the absence of recent research.

Fluoride, used in many commercially available toothpastes and varnishes, is known to reduce tooth decay. Governments in many countries have added fluoride to the drinking water supply to improve the population’s oral health. However, there are polarised views on whether this is the right action to take.