FLUORIDATED CHEWING GUM

Press, Volume C, Issue 29503, 3 May 1961, Page 18

FLUORIDATED CHEWING GUM

Proposal By Team Of Researchers Fluoridated chewing gum is suggested by a team of investigators at Guy’s Hospital, London, as a useful means of ensuring an adequate supply of fluorine to children’s teeth. Now it has been shown that the local application of certain fluorides to the teeth reduces dental cavities, dentists and others have been seeking for a safe, yet easy, method by which this may be done. Such measures are additional to the fluoridation of drinking water, and are of value because they ensure an adequate supply of fluoride in children at the critical stage when their teeth are erupting and when a reasonably high concentration of fluoride is most beneficial. One way of achieving this is by means of sweets containing fluoride, but there would be a real risk of children overdosing themselves. As the research workers say. however, “a fluoridated chewing gum appears to offer little risk in this respect, since it is unlikely that any child would wish, or be allowed, to chew regularly more than 10 pieces a day—which would be quite safe.’’