Sir, – Donald Clarke's article on fluoride ("Pouring cold water on anti-fluoridation arguments", Opinion & Analysis, October 11th) misses an essential point – dental decay is not caused by a lack of fluoride. Dental decay is caused by a poor diet and a lack of dental hygiene.
Instead of the fluoridation of drinking water, we need a public education campaign on the importance of brushing teeth and avoiding sugary foods.
In addition to drinking water, the Irish population is exposed to fluoride from a variety of sources, including toothpaste, mouthwashes, dental floss, as well as from fluoride-containing foods such as sardines and tea.
Fluoride, therefore, does not need to be in the drinking water supply, which gives the population a chemical whose dose is dependent simply on how thirsty they are. It is simply wrong to address a problem with a non-chemical cause by adding more chemicals to our already polluted world. – Yours, etc,
Dr ELIZABETH CULLEN,
Kilcullen,
Co Kildare.