FLUORIDATION
SIR,—Leslie Adrian invites me to comment on the views put forward by Mrs. Grant on fluoridation in the same issue (May 2). It would be very unwise to do so. Scientific issues of this character are unsuit- able for public debate.
To answer the question 'Is it safe to add one part per million of sodium fluoride to drinking water?' re- quires a knowledge of chemistry, biology and a close study of an enormous literature on the subject of fluoridation. As in so many other matters the layman must rely on the weight of expert evidence.
Here are some facts which may help him make up his mind. Sixteen countries are already adding sodium fluoride to their water supplies; in the USA alone 33,000,000 persons are consuming fluorinated water; the British Dental Association firmly sup- ports fluoridation; a vast amount of scientific work has been undertaken all over the world to investigate the potential dangers of fluoridation; this has dis- closed no risk whatever.
There is no evidence that sodium fluoride in concentrations used is harmful to man or beast (or that calcium fluoride would be preferable). Indeed, the evidence is all to the contrary. We know for certain that by judicious fluoridation of fluorine- deficient water supplies the future of our children's teeth can be safeguarded.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of the value of fluoridation and despite the fact that British teeth are notoriously prone to caries we still hesitate to take the elementary precaution of adding fluorine to our water supplies.—Yours faithfully,
BRUCE CARDEW Editor Medical World, 55-56 Russell Square, WC1
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