A chara, - I would like to make a few points in relation to the fluoridation of public water supplies, an issue raised by Myles Crowe (April 6th).
Fluoride is a naturally occurring ion. It is present to a lesser or greater degree in most water. Almost 100 years ago it was first noted that people living in areas naturally rich in fluoride tended to have less dental decay. Over 130 studies in 20 countries since then have demonstrated this benefit when water supplies are deliberately fluoridated.
A child living in an area without fluoridated water will have on average twice as many cavities as a child in an area with fluoridation. Over 60 per cent of people in the Republic of Ireland now receive fluoride in their water at a concentration of one part per million. It is worth noting that 40 million people worldwide live in areas where the natural concentration exceeds this. The safety of water fluoridation has been extensively studied and has been endorsed by many, including the World Health Organisation and the Irish and British dental associations.
The article Mr Crowe quotes by a Robin Whitlock alleging that water fluoridation is a means of dumping toxic waste is a little farfetched, but sits neatly alongside his own references to secret orders and atomic bomb scientists. - Is mise, Peter Gannon,
Dental surgeon, Military Road, Killiney, Co Dublin.