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

‘Most of the studies on water fluoridation are over 50 years old, before the availability of fluoride toothpaste,’ the researchers said. Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA

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.