Water Fluoridation in Britain

The addition of fluoride to public drinking water supplies, in order to reduce the level of dental decay, has been practiced in areas throughout the world since the 1940s.

In 1969 the Department of Health confirmed that certain levels of fluoride in drinking water were beneficial to dental health.  They stated that this would lead to savings in the National Health Service, due to the reduction in the need for dental treatment.

The recommended level of fluoride in drinking water is one part per million (ppm). In the UK some areas already have a natural fluoride level of this order, but, in many cases, the fluoride level has to be boosted artificially.  This can be done by adding fluoride either as a solid, (sodium fluoride; sodium silicofluoride) or as a liquid (Hexafluorosilicic Acid).  Originally, both systems were employed, but the liquid dosing system is now the recognised method of injecting fluoride.

In the UK today, 10-12% of the population receive artificially fluoridated water and, apart from areas with natural fluoride levels, this leaves a little under 90% of the population who are supplied with water which contains less than the recommended 1ppm of fluoride.

Most Water Service Companies in the country use liquid dosing with Hexafluorosilicic Acid, so there is a wide range of experience in using this technique.  Few installations have introduced fluoridation systems based on solid fluoridation agents in the last decade.

A Material Safety Data Sheet or Product Specification sheet will be posted upon request.