Sir, the Editor's reminder of the absurdity that is the lack of universal water fluoridation1 is timely given the current climate emergency. With UK hospitals carrying out approximately 44,000 general anaesthetics a year for tooth decay in children alone,2 it is noteworthy that some general anaesthetic agents have a global warming potential over 2,000 times that of CO23 with most operating theatres venting these gases straight into the atmosphere. Fluoridation could reduce the need for general anaesthesia for dental caries by 40-50%.4 Combined with the high carbon footprint of general practice, fluoridation is a means by which the dental profession could make a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
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Kingsmill, V. Climate emergency. Br Dent J 227, 247 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-019-0682-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-019-0682-z