Sadiq Khan is being urged to review fluoridating London’s water to combat rising tooth decay rates among residents
London: Sir Sadiq Khan is facing calls to look into fluoridating the city’s water. This could help tackle the growing issue of tooth decay among Londoners.
The London Assembly’s health committee, made up of members from different parties, thinks this could really boost oral health in the capital. They’ve suggested that the mayor should take a closer look at this idea.
His team has acknowledged the struggles many Londoners have when it comes to getting dental care. They promised to respond to the committee soon.
During the investigation, NHS consultant Charlotte Klass pointed out that fluoridation has been shown to cut down on tooth decay across all age groups. Plus, it doesn’t require people to change their habits.
Currently, London’s water isn’t fluoridated. However, since last year, the Health Secretary can set up fluoridation schemes in different areas. But, public consultation is a must before anything can happen.
In 2024, the Government looked into expanding these schemes in the north east of England, but there’s been no word on London yet.
The committee suggested that the mayor should review the feasibility of fluoridating London’s water by 2025 and share the results with the Government.
They found that about 25.8% of five-year-olds in London had tooth decay in 2021-22, which is a bit higher than the national average. In the following year, over 5,000 kids aged 0 to 9 had to go to the hospital for tooth extractions.
Looking at the last two years, only 39% of adults in London managed to see an NHS dentist.
The report highlighted that the current NHS dental contract is seriously flawed and needs a major overhaul. It’s not encouraging dentists to take on NHS work, especially for those who need it most.
Funding for NHS dentistry hasn’t kept up with inflation, and there just aren’t enough services to meet the needs of London’s population.
Krupesh Hirani, the Labour chair of the committee, mentioned they looked into dental education in schools and the hurdles Londoners face in getting quality dental care.
He noted that while there are some successes, there are significant gaps in preventative care and emergency treatment. People need to be able to access emergency care when they need it.
Hirani, who represents Brent and Harrow, emphasized that good oral health is vital for overall wellbeing. While there are things we can do to care for our teeth, getting an appointment should be easy. Access to healthcare, including dental care, should be a right for everyone.
He added that London should be proud of its dental care, but that’s not the case right now.
A spokesperson for Sir Sadiq said the mayor doesn’t have control over dental services but is worried about the challenges Londoners face due to cuts from the previous Government.
They’re hopeful about the new Government’s focus on improving NHS services and welcome the Dentistry Rescue Plan aimed at preventing poor dental health.
The committee also suggested that the Government should look into why poor oral health is so common across the country and come up with a plan to tackle it.
A representative from the Department of Health and Social Care stated that the Government is committed to rebuilding NHS dentistry, but it will take time. They’re starting with an extra 700,000 urgent appointments and a £26 billion funding boost for health and social care.
They also plan to reform the dental contract to encourage more dentists to offer NHS services and introduce supervised tooth brushing for young kids in deprived areas.
