HC Deb 21 November 1996 vol 285 cc703-4W
Mr. Donald Anderson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue advice that fluoridated toothpaste and fluoride supplements should not be used in fluoridated areas. [5002]

Mr. Malone

Advice is available in the Dental Practitioners' Formulary, the British National Formulary and information provided by the manufacturers of fluoride supplements, that systemic fluoride supplements should not be taken where water contains more than 0.7mg fluoride per litre. Fluoride toothpaste regarded as a cosmetic falls within the scope of the Cosmetic Product Safety Regulations 1989, as amended. In these pastes the fluoridating compound is restricted to 0.15 per cent. All fluoride toothpastes must be labelled as containing the substance. Copies of the DPF and BNF are available in the Library.

Mr. Anderson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission studies to determine the current average fluoride content of bone in each age group for(a) long-fluoridated and (b) unfluoridared areas of Britain. [5001]

Mr. Malone

The Department has no plans to commission such studies.

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