HEALTH bosses have renewed their plea for fluoridated water in East Lancashire after it was revealed that the area's dental health is still lagging behind the rest of the country.

Latest figures, based on a survey of 12-year-olds, put the area joint 94th out of 99 health authorities in England.

Former East Lancashire director of public health Stephen Morton said putting the chemical, which fights tooth decay, in the water could improve our teeth at a stroke.

"Fluoridation of the water-supply stands out as offering the best and most cost-effective way of improving dental health. It has been known since 1931 that people living in areas with fluoride in the water supply have less tooth decay than those in other areas," he said.

But local anti-fluoridation campaigners have vowed to fight any moves saying the chemical poses health risks.

The survey, carried out in 2000/1, shows East Lancashire has risen two places up the table compared to 1996/7. The average number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth dropped from 1.71 to 1.40.

Dr Morton, now director of public health and health standards for Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust, said the incidence had risen in Hyndburn during the same period from 1.48 to 1.56 and fallen in the Ribble Valley from 1.26 to 1.17.

Despite welcoming the overall improvement, in a report, Dr Morton and public dental health consultant Dr Gary Whittle, urged the trust to join the campaign for fluoridation by becoming a corporate member of the British Fluoridation Society.

Dr Whittle said it was no coincidence areas which have had fluoridated water for 40 years such as Dudley and Solihull, with similar social and economic conditions as East Lancashire, were in the top ten.

Using the survey, he estimated fluoridation would cut numbers of local children having general anaesthetics in dental treatment from 1,100 to around 300. This would save money and encourage more people to attend regularly.

"I believe it would have a significant effect as general anaesthetics are not nice for children. It would result is more pleasant experiences of dentistry and stop a lot of them becoming dental phobics," he said.

He pointed to a study by York University which he showed fluoridation was effective and safe in reducing tooth decay.

PCT board chairman Martin Hill said the trust needed to consider the anti-fluoridation lobby before it committed itself to joining the campaign.

It will receive another report at the end of December before it decides.

Spokeswoman for North West Councils Against Fluoridation Liz Vaughan said she was very keen to address the PCT's next meeting.

She said the study, carried out by York University, had been far from conclusive and the man who led it, Dr Trevor Sheldon, had gone on record as saying the results had been misinterpreted.

"There's a whole raft of medical evidence counter to the fluoridation argument. Medication is a matter of personal choice and freedom. Who do these people think they are medicating people without their consent?" she said.