Dental health benefits of fluoride in water may have declined, study finds

Researchers say wider use of fluoride toothpaste means practice now has less of a role in reducing tooth decay

The dental health benefits of adding fluoride to drinking water may be smaller now than before fluoride toothpaste was widely available, a review suggests.

Researchers from the universities of Manchester, Dundee and Aberdeen assessed evidence from 157 studies comparing communities that had fluoride added to their water supplies with communities that had no additional fluoride in their water.