Advances in Dental Research, Vol 9, 118-119, Copyright © 1995 by International & American Associations for Dental Research
Some operational aspects of school-milk fluoridation in St. Helens, Merseyside, UK
M. A. Lennon, S. Jones and S. M. Woodward
Department of Clinical Dental Sciences, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
St. Helens is a small industrial town situated about 20 km east of
Liverpool. It lies in an area of social deprivation and, by UK standards,
dental caries experience is high (e.g., dmft at 5 years = 2.8; DMFT at 12
years = 2.7). Water fluoridation is an important part of the government's
strategy for improving oral health in such areas; however, in large parts
of St. Helens, implementation of water fluoridation is complicated by
reason of the multiple sources of water supply. The aims of the St. Helens
study are therefore to examine the technical, organizational, and legal
aspects of the fluoridation of school milk as an alternative public health
approach. In the UK, children attending nursery units (kindergartens) from
ages 2-4 years and infant schools from ages 4-7 years are eligible for 189
mL of milk to be consumed each day at school. These two schemes are funded
or subsidized by the Departments of Health (UK) or the European Community,
respectively. A preliminary review of the possibility of using school milk
as a vehicle for fluoride has been published recently (Jones et al., 1992).
The current paper will review progress over the past 12 months, including
the response of schools, dairies, and other organizational considerations.
