Preventive dental care has always been a mooting point for dental experts across the world. With the rising cases of dental decay in young children, call for fluoridation of water has been kicked off in medical fraternity.

The situation of dental decay has become so grim that children aged 0 to 14 were hospitalized, as per NMDHB's 2010 and 2008 Health Needs Assessment reports. Citing grave concern over the spiralling rate of dental surgeries, senior hospital dentist Roby Beaglehole, consultant to the British Department of Health, and political adviser to the Government, is of the view that spurt in junk food items, laden with sugar content beyond the safe limit, is one of the potential cause of the crippling dental health in most of the European countries.

Contrary to the common recommendation to increase fluoride intake to cater to tooth decay, the NMDHB's oral health steering group Chairman, Ed Kiddle, is of the view that though fluoridation is one of the best way to address the issue, more steps should be taken to eradicate the persistent concern.

Though the controversy to revise existing standard of fluoridation continues, dental experts are of the view that rational parenting is a must to track the percolating concern of children's oral health care.