BILL Edmunds’ letter “Fluoridation scheme dead in the water” (December 28), reported that another inquiry in Cumbria has been started to prove fluoridation is safe and effective.

This new scheme will cost £1,549,347. What a waste of public money, along with that already wasted in Southampton.

If the authorities really cared about teeth they would provide a better dental service. More adult teeth are lost from gum disease than tooth decay, yet some areas have no NHS periodontist (gum specialist) and there can be long waiting lists to see one, during which time teeth can be lost.

It can cost well over £100 a visit to see a private periodontist, which is too expensive for many people. So they may lose their teeth – and fluoridation cannot help gum disease. But officials are quite happy to spend millions on trying to force fluoridation through.

Fluoridation is wasteful and expensive as only one per cent of the water supply is used for drinking. Most water is used by industry and for washing and toilet flushing etc.

For every £100 spent on fluoridation less than one per cent of it reaches children’s teeth, so it's literally money down the drain.

If only the authorities would spend the fluoridation money on gum specialists, good dentistry and dental education for children in schools.

A WILLS, Ruislip, Middlesex.