Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 November 2013
654. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the level of monitoring of fluoride levels in the population under the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act 1960; if he intends to perform such a study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48989/13]
View answerThe impact of water fluoridation on caries levels in Ireland has been regularly assessed in both national and local surveys since its introduction in the mid 1960s. Enamel fluorosis has been monitored in Ireland since 1984. This is regarded as an accurate method of monitoring total fluoride intake, using increasingly sophisticated new technologies. Surveys to measure the effectiveness of water fluoridation on children’s and adults’ oral health include national studies in 1984, 1990, 2001 and 2002, regional studies between 1990 and 1999 and a cross border study in 2006. All of these studies showed a substantial benefit of fluoridation in terms of a reduction in tooth decay.
At present the Department of Health is collaborating in a University College Cork-led research project, "Fluoride and Caring for Children's Teeth" (FACCT) which will specifically examine the oral health status of children and inform national policy. The study will consider the impact of changes on the oral health of children, following policy decisions relating to toothpaste use by infants and young children made in 2002 and the reduction in the level of fluoridation in drinking water in 2007. It is focusing on 5-year old and 12-year old children. The HSE has released dental staff and is providing funding to support the study. Consideration is also being given by the Department of Health to a study on general and oral health findings in adults linked to the duration of exposure to fluoridated water as part of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA).
