The words to use
- Community water fluoridation
- Adjusting fluoride in a public water supply to about 1 mg per litre to prevent tooth decay. England's legal limit is 1.5 mg per litre.
- Dental fluorosis
- Changes in enamel, usually faint white flecks, caused by too much fluoride while teeth are forming in childhood.
- dmft
- Decayed, missing and filled teeth: the standard measure of decay in baby teeth. Capitals (DMFT) are used for adult teeth.
- Proportionality
- Asking whether a public health measure's benefit justifies its intrusion, and whether a less intrusive option would work as well.
- Health monitoring report
- UKHSA's regular report on the health effects of fluoridation in England. The latest came out in March 2026; the next is due within four years.
