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From: Ronnie

To: FluoridePoisoning@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 2:00 AM

Subject: [FluoridePoisoning] Usage of fluoride urged on international level

Industry news from Proofs magazine
Industry news from the editorial staff at Proofs magazine, a PennWell
publication

Usage of fluoride urged on international level

A panel of experts on fluoride urged government and other influential
bodies during the Global Consultation on "Oral Health through
Fluoride," which took place Nov. 17-19 in Geneva, to develop
effective legislation, necessary directives and programs to ensure
access to fluoride for dental health in all countries.

In the declaration, the world experts expressed "their concern about
growing disparities in dental health and the lack of progress in
tackling the worldwide burden of tooth decay (dental caries),
particularly in disadvantaged populations." The 80 experts on
fluoride from 30 countries emphatically made clear that "prevention
by using fluoride is the only realistic way of reducing this burden
in populations."

"The benefits of fluoride for the prevention and control of dental
caries have been known to the scientific and public health community
for more than 60 years. While fluoride in various delivery systems is
widely available in many developed countries, it is estimated that
globally only 20 percent of the world's population benefit from
appropriate exposure to fluoride," said Dr. Poul Erik Petersen, Chief
of the Oral Health Unit at the World Health Organization
(WHO). "Regrettably, particularly people living in developing
countries and disadvantaged communities are deprived of fluoride for
dental health."

The consultation, jointly organized by the FDI World Dental
Federation, the International Association for Dental Research (IADR),
and the WHO, aimed to consider the actions needed to effectively
reduce the global burden of dental caries. The FDI is the global
unified voice of oral health professionals; the IADR advances
research on oral health worldwide; and the WHO advises governmental
bodies throughout the world.

"The FDI fully supports the promotion of fluoride worldwide.
Representing nearly one million dentists worldwide, the FDI will use
the strong messages from the experts and translate them into tangible
advice for all oral health professionals. There is an urgent need to
take action in order to ensure that optimal fluoride is available and
affordable for all," said Dr. J.T. Barnard, executive director of the
FDI.

The adopted declaration will guide the work of the alliance and
various international groups that were established during the
consultation. The full text of the declaration is available at
www.fdiworldental.org/public_health/3_7fluoride.html.