Dental fluorosis is the name given to teeth that have experienced enamel deformities during the developmental stage of primary (also known as the milk or baby teeth) or permanent dentition as a consequence of systemic fluoride ingestion. Regulatory authorities and the IDA (Irish Dental Association) currently attribute fluorosed teeth to post partum (after birth) fluoride exposure where infant formula constituted with fluoridated water, the inappropriate ingestion of fluoridated toothpaste, drinking water, food and medicinal products are reckoned to be the primary sources.

Relatively unknown and contrary to the Department of Health who claim "dental fluorosis is a cosmetic or aesthetic condition which refers to the way teeth look; it is not considered to be an adverse health effect," the High Court and Supreme Court cleared (Ryan v Attorney General 1964 ) the legislation for implementation on one of the legally binding conditions that no citizen would suffer fluorosis, damage or harm as a result of the policy which was based on appraisal of the of scientific evidence available to the Court at the time. However, in the 50+ years since the legal challenge, modern scientific appraisal (The York Report in 2001 and the Cochrane Review in 2015) now indicates where water fluoride concentration levels attain a concentration of 0.7ppm as is currently legally required by the health (fluoridation of water supplies) Act 1960 and SI No 42 of 2007, some 42% of the population will suffer from dental fluorosis or when referenced to the 2016 census, some 2 million citizens in Ireland. UNICEF have previously deemed dental fluorosis to constitute fluoride poisoning.

A Fluoride Free Towns spokesperson commented: "From a layperson's perspective, a substance that interferes with the normal dentition formation of a developing foetus can only logically be considered a poisonous substance that causes birth defects. The matter was raised a year ago (November 2015) by myself and Government backbenchers with the Former Minister and Minster of State at the Department of Health who on behalf of the Government rejected the claim that primary dentition fluorosis was a birth defect though the Minister did acknowledge sections of the SCHER Report which indicated primary dentition fluorosis does occur in utero (during pregnancy). The concurrent investigations by the FSAI and the European Commission into fluoridation induced birth defects have serious implications for both the Department of Health and the Government who've so far disregarded multiple warnings that the State's isolated policy within Europe of enforcing a mandatory fluoridation policy is causing serious harm to citizens as well as the unborn and we therefore reiterate our call on Minister Simon Harris to invoke the Precautionary Principle and effect a moratorium on the outdated policy of medicating the Irish population through the country's public water supplies and by default, the national food chain until such time as the FSAI and European Commission have concluded their investigations."

The campaign group have also reiterated their calls for the public but particularly expectant mothers, infants and children to avoid all dietary sources of fluoride in order to minimise the risk of developing fetuses and young children experiencing fluorosis damage to their respective dentitions. The same warning was carried in an article published by "Donegal Now" in the Autumn of 2015 which was the recipient of complaints from The Expert Body on Fluorides and Health who threatened to refer the matter to the Department of Health's Press and Communications Office but the threat was subsequently withdrawn.

Though the recipient of ongoing political controversy where all political parties have at one time or another outlined their opposition to the policy including Fine Gael who promised to reverse the policy if elected to power in 2001 and Fianna Fail who passed a motion against the policy at their Parliamentary Party Ard Fheis in Killarney in 2014, 14 Councils including Cork County Council, Cork City Council, Kerry County Council, Laois County Council, Dublin City Council, Wexford County Council, Leitrim County Council, Galway County Council, Cavan County Council, Monaghan County Council, Donegal County Council, Dublin South County Council, Waterford City Council and Waterford County Councils representing over half the Irish population all passed motions in 2014 & 2015 calling on the Government to immediately scrap The Health (fluoridation of water supplies) Act 1960.

The Fluoride Free Towns group in addition to others continue to campaign for the cessation of Ireland's CWF (Community Water Fluoridation) policy which it maintains is both illegal and unconstitutional whilst citing infringements of the right to issue free informed consent to medical treatment as well as the rights of the unborn and citizens to bodily integrity or Articles 40.3.1 and 40.3.3 of the Irish Constitution.

References:

http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/environmental_risks/docs/scher_o_139.pdf

http://admin.ejpd.eu/download/2005-03-07.pdf

http://www.supremecourt.ie/supremecourt/sclibrary3.nsf/pagecurrent/ 9FA0AA8E8D261FC48025765C0042F6B3?opendocument&l=en

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fluoride/documents/crdreport18.pdf

http://www.cochrane.org/CD010856/ORAL_water-fluoridation-prevent-tooth-decay

http://www.unicef.org/wash/files/wf13e.pdf

http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack. nsf/takes/dail2015111700070?opendocument#WRS02000

https://www.donegalnow.com/news/fluoridation-causes-birth-defects/55346

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/fg-election-promise-to-ban-fluoride-in- drinking-water-26099298.html & http://www.irishtimes.com/news/fg-renews-call-for-ban-on-water-fluoridation-1.434126