Community water fluoridation: It’s still relevant!
Promotional Features top-postPosted by: Dental Design 26th September 2024
Sakina Needham is a dental nurse with more than 20 years’ experience across both NHS and private dentistry. She has taken part in community projects, held management positions, and possesses a love for everything dentistry!
In addition to currently working as a Dental Practice Compliance Manager in Warwickshire, Sakina also works as a locum dental nurse and delivers community oral health in local schools throughout Cambridgeshire. She is also involved with the British Fluoridation Society (BFS).
On 4th October, at the London Dentistry Show, Sakina will be delivering a talk in the Dental Care Professionals Hub at 2:30pm, titled Community water fluoridation: It’s still relevant.
We interviewed her ahead of her talk to find out more:
Why is the topic of fluoridation still relevant?
We as a nation are much more widely aware that we need to prevent disease rather than just treat it, and this applies for the whole body. The changes in the Health and Care Act in 2022 reflect this.
In 2024, we see consultations in the North-East having occurred to move towards fluoridated water, to help reduce the rates of tooth decay. We must remember that tooth decay is an entirely preventable disease and, so, a public health measure that can reduce the prevalence of tooth decay, as well as the related hospital admissions, is definitely still relevant when we are recording tooth extraction figures of around 31,000 episodes.
Why do you think there is still resistance/a lack of understanding around the benefits of fluoridation?
As with anything, there will always be objection to something that will affect the general population. We have seen that recently with the Covid vaccinations and saw it many years ago when seatbelts became mandatory – something we know years later has saved thousands of lives and, of course, saved the NHS a lot of money from treating injuries.
We know that the benefits of fluoridation are significant, especially when we consider how this measure benefits those most at risk of tooth decay and their access. There are many sources of information around the benefits of water fluoridation, and I hope that we can make that information easier to understand and available for everyone who shares an interest.
How did you become involved with the BFS?
I have always been supportive of water fluoride. I started my career in Lincolnshire, where the water was widely fluoridated. Conversations with patients and peers came up regularly and, at the start of my career, I always felt like I wanted to be able to discuss water fluoridation with more confidence.
Throughout my career, fluoride remained a topic of interest as I obtained fluoride application as a post qualification. In October 2021, the BFS held a conference in Birmingham, and I enjoyed all of the information that was made available during a crucial time when the new healthcare bill was being reviewed. I got in touch with the BFS following the conference and discussed my passion for reaching vulnerable members of our community with oral health education, and have been passionately supporting the BFS ever since.
What can attendees expect from your talk?
Attendees can hopefully refresh their understanding of Community Water Fluoridation, learn about how relevant it is amongst other forms of oral health, and how they can get involved or learn more about CWF and the BFS. The most important element is understanding that fluoridation can still play a major part in reducing caries rates – especially in deprived areas with higher caries rates.
Don’t miss Sakina’s talk – Community water fluoridation: It’s still relevant – 14:30 on Friday 4th October in the Dental Care Professionals Hub at the London Dentistry Show. Click here for more information.
