Written question asked by Lord Monson (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Warner (Labour) on Wednesday, 19 April 2006.

Fluoridation

Question: Which research studies on total human exposure to fluoride from all sources have been commissioned by the Department of Health and the National Health Service in the past five years.

Answer: The Department of Health has commissioned three relevant research studies. A Systematic Review of Public Water Fluoridation, published by the University of York in 2000, recommended that future studies on the effects of fluoridation should attempt to measure total fluoride exposure. Water Fluoridation and Health, published by the Medical Research Council in 2002, agreed that it is important to understand better the total exposure that individuals are experiencing and to gain a better understanding of any differences there might be in the uptake of fluoride from artificially fluoridated as opposed to naturally fluoridated water. In 2004, the University of Newcastle’s School of Dental Sciences published a study into the bioavailability (absorption) of fluoride in naturally and artificially fluoridated drinking water, which concluded:"““There was no statistically significant difference between artificially and naturally fluoridated water, or between soft and hard water””." We are committed to a continuing programme of research on fluoridation.

Secondary information