§ Mr. David Atkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the 1983 children's dental health survey, with particular reference to the experience of fluoridation.
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§ Mr. John PattenI very much welcome the general reduction in dental decay shown by the preliminary results of the 1983 children's dental health survey. These results do not permit comparisons to be made between fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas but other studies carried out in the past 10 years have shown that tooth decay levels amongst children who have had life-long exposure to fluoridated water are consistently lower than among children in comparable non-fluoridated areas.