COVERAGE
About 1 in 10 people
The 2022 monitoring report says around 10% of England's population gets public drinking water from a fluoridation scheme.
See the numbers
WATER FLUORIDATION, EXPLAINED
What's in the tap
for your teeth?
Fluoride is a natural mineral in water.
How much is in your tap depends on local rocks, and in some areas on a scheme that tops it up. This independent guide explains what official reports say, without telling you what to do.
1 mg/l the scheme target
Check a level- Natural levels vary
- Schemes aim for 1 mg/l
- Capped at 1.5 mg/l
- Three numbers behind the tap
THE SHORT ANSWER
Some taps are topped up,
most are not.
An independent informational guide.
It quotes official reports and gives no dental advice.
GEOLOGY
Mostly low by nature
Approximately 70% of people in England live where drinking water has less than 0.2 mg of fluoride per litre, the same report found.
Check a level
TOOTHPASTE
A complement, not a substitute
The UK Chief Medical Officers say fluoridation is not a substitute for good oral hygiene, check-ups and limiting sugar.
Read the contextGeneral information only, not medical advice. For advice about your own health, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health professional.
FOUR WAYS TO LEARN MORE
Know what's
in your tap.
These are ways to find the facts for your own area. Questions about your own or your child's teeth are for a dental professional.
Ask your water company
The Oral Health Foundation suggests asking your local water supplier whether your water contains fluoride.
Read the monitoring report
The 2022 report maps fluoride levels and schemes across England. The government said the next report is due in 2026.
Check the toothpaste label
The NHS says adult toothpaste should contain at least 1,350 ppm fluoride, and the amount is shown on the packaging.
Watch for consultations
New or expanded schemes in England go to public consultation under the Water Fluoridation (Consultation) (England) Regulations 2022.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
What the monitoring
report found.
One figure on who is covered,
one on hospital tooth extractions in children.
≈ 10%
England's population on a fluoridation scheme
The government must report on the health effects of schemes at least every 4 years. The 2022 report is the third in the series.
COVERAGE · OHID 2022
57–63%
Less likely to be admitted for decayed teeth removal
Children and young people in areas with higher fluoride concentrations were 57 to 63% less likely to be admitted to hospital for tooth extraction due to decay than in low-fluoride areas.
EXTRACTIONS · OHID 2022
The same report found no convincing evidence of higher hip fracture rates in fluoridated or higher-fluoride areas, with some inconsistent signals in certain age groups.
A QUICK LEVEL CHECK
How much fluoride
is in the water?
Pick a typical situation to see what the official report says about it. The bar shows the fluoride concentration compared with the 1.5 mg per litre limit.
Based on the Water fluoridation health monitoring report for England 2022 (OHID). General information only, not dental or medical advice.
A LONG HISTORY
Sixty years
of schemes.
The first water fluoridation scheme began in the USA in 1945. After pilot schemes, the first substantive UK scheme started in Birmingham in 1964. In the north east, over 1 million people live in fluoridated areas, with schemes in place since the early 1970s.
A 2024 consultation on expanding schemes in the north east drew 3,336 online responses. The government noted fluoridation can provoke strongly held and polarised views, and decided to expand as proposed.
Questions
Questions people ask
What is water fluoridation?
Adding fluoride to community drinking water in areas where natural levels are low, raising it to a level known to reduce tooth decay, as described by the UK Chief Medical Officers.
How much fluoride is added?
Schemes in England aim for 1 mg of fluoride per litre of water, which is one part per million. The maximum allowed in drinking water is 1.5 mg per litre.
What did the UK Chief Medical Officers conclude?
Their 2021 statement said that, on balance, there is strong scientific evidence that water fluoridation is an effective public health intervention, and that it is complementary to other fluoride sources.
Are there any downsides?
The Chief Medical Officers describe dental mottling, or fluorosis, as a small risk at the levels used in public health. Severe fluorosis is only common where natural fluoride is very high.
Who checks the levels?
In England and Wales the Drinking Water Inspectorate monitors fluoride in drinking water, and water companies running schemes must follow its Code of Practice.
Sources
- GOV.UK (OHID): Water fluoridation health monitoring report for England 2022
- GOV.UK: Statement on water fluoridation from the UK Chief Medical Officers (2021)
- GOV.UK: Community water fluoridation expansion in the north east, government response
- NHS: How to keep your teeth clean
- Oral Health Foundation: Fluoride
Updated