In their turn, the health authorities have been urged by chief dental officer Professor Raman Bedi to fluoridate their water, and the new law provides a “realistic option” of doing so, he says.
At the moment, only six million Britons drink water that is fluoridated to a level of 1 ppm (part per million), which is supposedly necessary to maintain dental health. Most water supplies fall far short of that level.
The government says there will be “thorough local consultation” and that there will have to be strong local support before any fluoridation programme goes ahead.
As fluoridation of water has been described as one of the greatest health disasters of the 20th century, you’ll know what to do if some bright spark in your local health authority wants to earn Brownie points with Professor Bedi.