Community Dental Health

cover art

Cover Date:
September 2015
Print ISSN:
0265 539X
Vol:
32
Issue:
3

Editoral

Community Dental Health (2015) 32, 130–131

doi:10.1922/CDH_Lennon02

Editorial

The Cochrane review of water fluoridation; a commentary
Professor Michael A Lennon OBE

The recently published systematic review of water fluoridation by the Cochrane Oral Health Group (Iheozor-Ejiofor et al., 2015) concludes that “the initiation of water fluoridation results in a 35% reduction in dmft and a 26% reduction in DMFT compared to the median control group value” and that “there were also increases in the percentage of caries-free children of 15% in deciduous dentition and 14% in permanent dentition” - oral health improvements which led the COHG authors to the view that “fluoridation is effective at reducing caries levels in children”. Looking at broadly the same literature, the York Report (McDonagh et al., 2000) made similar findings and concluded that the evidence was of “moderate quality” and that “the best available evidence suggests that fluoridation of drinking water supplies does reduce caries prevalence”. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (2007) concluded that “the existing body of evidence strongly suggests that water fluoridation is beneficial at reducing dental caries”. In two American reviews the authors concluded that there is “strong evidence that community water fluoridation is effective in reducing the cumulative experience of dental caries within communities” (Truman et al., 2002) and that there was “strong evidence of effectiveness in reducing dental caries across populations” (Community Preventive Services Task Force, 2013).

Article Price
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Page Start
130
Page End
131
Authors
Professor Michael A Lennon OBE

Articles from this issue

  • Title
  • Pg. Start
  • Pg. End

  1. Editoral
  2. 130
  3. 131

  1. Relationship between family characteristics and children’s regular toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste
  2. 132
  3. 136

  1. Effect of family caregiver oral care training on stroke survivor oral and respiratory health in Taiwan: a randomised controlled trial
  2. 137
  3. 142

  1. Exploring the association between oral health literacy and alexithymia
  2. 143
  3. 147

  1. Association of oral health literacy with oral health behaviour and oral health status in Belarus
  2. 148
  3. 152

  1. Association between childhood socioeconomic position and periodontitis in Korean adults
  2. 153
  3. 157

  1. Clustering of risk indicators for periodontal disease: A population based study
  2. 158
  3. 162

  1. Dental caries in Iraqi 12-year-olds and background fluoride exposure
  2. 163
  3. 169

  1. Fluoride content and labelling of toothpastes marketed in India
  2. 170
  3. 173

  1. Attitudes and practices regarding preventive dentistry among Libyan dentists
  2. 174
  3. 179

  1. Comparing UK, USA and Australian values for EQ-5D as a health utility measure of oral health
  2. 180
  3. 184

  1. Socioeconomic inequalities in dental caries among 5-year-olds in four Chinese provinces
  2. 185
  3. 189

  1. Dental survey of the Falkland Islands’ child population
  2. 190
  3. 192