HAVING read both sides of the debate over fluoride and the health authorities' assurances that it is safe, maybe we should ask the children what they think. It is they whose lives have been made a misery through fluoride. They did not have a say when they were little, but they can now.

Our eldest two children had fluoride. I abided by the rules - seeing that they had vitamin drops, injections, health checks, no sugar, no sweets and fluoride to ensure their teeth were strong. I wanted the best, as all mums do. But, unfortunately, when their second teeth came through, they had brown spots on them. The tears and cries of "Why are my teeth different?" made me wonder what had I done wrong.

Remarks like 'mancky teeth,' 'spotty teeth' and 'you never clean your teeth' stopped my children smiling. They cover their mouths when they talk and close their lips when the camera clicks.

Who is going to pay for the dental treatment? They may not need fillings, but the cost of covering over the ugly brown spots is dearer than fillings, which can last years, but the tooth veneer they need costs £40 and chips off every few months, only to need replacing.

When they are 16, who is going to pay then? If the health authority could see this, they would think twice about putting it in the water. Or maybe if all the affected children got together and sued, maybe they would re-think.

We've managed thousands of years without fluoride. You can see the damage it causes in our children, who never asked for it. So why carry on giving it?

People should have the freedom of choice, whether to use it or not to.

Name and address received.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.