How to check if your water supply is fluoridated
You can find out if your water supply is fluoridated to the optimum level by selecting your region and water company below.
Some water companies have not been instructed by any local authorities to add fluoride to any of their water supply. For companies that have been instructed to add fluoride, you should follow the link provided and look up your postcode to check your local water supply.
- Which region do you live in?
- Which company supplies your water?
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Anglian Water is fluoridated in some areas.
- Check your water supply using your postcode.
- If your water is not fluoridated, you can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Northumbrian Water is fluoridated in some areas.
- Check your water supply using your postcode.
- If your water is not fluoridated, you can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Severn Trent Water is fluoridated in some areas.
- Check your water supply using your postcode.
- If your water is not fluoridated, you can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- The water supplied by United Utilities is fluoridated in some areas.
- Check your water supply using your postcode.
- If your water is not fluoridated, you can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Yorkshire Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Visit Water UK to check which company supplies your water, then return here to select your supplier above.
- Which company supplies your water?
- Which company supplies your water?
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Affinity Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- The water supplied by is fluoridated in some areas.
- Check your water supply using your postcode.
- If your water is not fluoridated, you can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Cambridge Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Its not clear whether your water is fluoridated.
- Dwr Cymru Welsh Water is the only water supplier in England that does not make it clear on their website whether their water is fluoridated and does not provide a way for you to check online using your postcode.
- Use Dwr Cymru Welsh Water Live Chat and ask if your water is fluoridated and please also ask them to improve their website by stating whether they fluoridate the water and include an online facility to check by postcode.
- If your water is not fluoridated, you can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Its not clear whether your water is fluoridated.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Severn Trent Water is fluoridated in some areas.
- Check your water supply using your postcode.
- If your water is not fluoridated, you can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- The water supplied by South Staffordshire Water is fluoridated in some areas.
- Use South Staffordshire Water’s contact form to find out whether your supply is fluoridated. Also ask them to improve their website with an online facility to check by postcode.
- If your water is not fluoridated, you can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Your water might be fluoridated.
- Visit Water UK to check which company supplies your water, then return here to select your supplier above.
- Which company supplies your water?
- Which company supplies your water?
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Affinity Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Portsmouth Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by South East Water is not fluoridated.
- Check your water supply using your postcode.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Southern Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by SES Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Thames Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Visit Water UK to check which company supplies your water, then return here to select your supplier above.
- Which company supplies your water?
- Which company supplies your water?
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Bristol Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Bournemouth Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by South West Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- The water supplied by Wessex Water is not fluoridated.
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Unfortunately, your water is not fluoridated.
- Visit Water UK to check which company supplies your water, then return here to select your supplier above.
- Which company supplies your water?
Why should my water supply be fluoridated?
Since the early 1900s we have been aware that areas with higher levels of fluoride naturally occurring in the water supply have much lower rates of tooth decay. In 1945 we started to use that knowledge to fluoridate water supplies to help prevent tooth decay.
The evidence shows that water fluoridation at just 1 molecule of fluoride to 1 million molecules of water (1ppm) is a proven effective, cheap and safe way to reduce dental decay.
Water fluoridation can help avoid:
- children being hospitalised for dental extractions under general anaesthesia (by 45 to 68%) and the associated risk of death (always associated with any general anesthesia)
- pain and infection caused by dental decay to children and adults
- sick days off school and work caused by toothaches and infections
- time taken off school and work to attend the dentist for treatment
- the unpleasantness of receiving dental treatment
- the personal financial burden of dental treatment for adults
Water fluoridation can also help save money and so stretch the NHS budget further. All NHS dental treatment in the UK is currently subsidised by public funds. Even when non-exempt adults pay NHS dental charges, the NHS ‘tops-up’ your payment to cover the true cost of your treatment. Every £1 spent on water fluoridation can save around £22 over 10 years by helping to avoid the need for treatment. As well as freeing up the NHS budget this would free up NHS dentists’ time so they can help more people access an NHS dentist.
Is water fluoridation safe?
Yes.
Despite numerous conspiracy theories and claims of links to almost every conceivable condition known to medicine, water fluoridation has been researched and reviewed many times by many different groups of scientists from many countries and repeatedly found to be very safe.
Fluoride occurs naturally in water to varying amounts and humans have been drinking naturally fluoridated water for centuries. At the correct level of 1 molecule of fluoride to 1 million molecules of water, there are no known adverse affects beyond tooth staining (called dental fluorosis).
Research has also shown there is no chemical or biological difference between naturally and artificially fluoridated water.
Why isn’t all the water fluoridated?
Despite the science supporting fluoridation of drinking water, 72% of the population in England do not have access to fluoridated water.
Currently, a health authority wishing to fluoridate public water supplies must hold a public consultation exercise and take its outcome into consideration before proceeding with any new fluoridation scheme.
Ever wishing to be very accurate with healthcare messages, scientists are notoriously bad at communicating to the public. In the infamous words of Michael Gove “the people of this country have had enough of experts“. Sensational conspiracy theories are unfortunately more appealing and entertaining than accurate scientific messages.
It has proven difficult for dentists and scientists to shout louder than than conspiracy theorists in order to gain public support for water fluoridation.
Hope for more water fluoridation in the future
The Health and Care Bill, currently passing through parliament, sets out a proposal to streamline the process for fluoridating water by moving the responsibility from local councils to central government. Under these new proposals, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care would have the power to directly introduce, vary or terminate water fluoridation schemes. There would however still be a requirement for drawn-out and expensive public consultations and feasibility studies before introduction of new schemes. As the British Dental Association points out, there is currently no promise of the capital investment required to fund a successful rollout.
What can I do to help get my water supply fluoridated?
There are three things you can do to help get your water supply fluoridated:
- You can write to your councillors and request for your local water supply to be fluoridated to help reduce dental decay in your area.
- You can write to your MP and ask why all of our water is not fluoridated to help reduce dental decay for everyone.
- Share your thoughts on water fluoridation online and in real life with your friends and family.
Further Reading
- Statement on water fluoridation from the UK Chief Medical Officers
- Department of Health & Social Care: Factsheet on The Health and Care Bill and water fluoridation
- The Irish Experts Body on Fluorides and Health: FAQs
- Water fluoridation: health monitoring report for England 2018 by Public Health England
- Medical Research Council working group report: Water fluoridation and health
- The University of York’s systematic review of public water fluoridation
- WHO: Fluoride in Drinking-water
- The Irish Experts Body on Fluorides and Health: Forum on fluoride
- Heath effects for water fluoridation: An evidence review 2015 by the Irish Experts Body on Fluorides and Health
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