Scottish Water cleans up
Scotland’s tap water has become the first in the world to gain international approval for keeping teeth healthy.
On This National Brush Day (1st November) Scottish Water announces that it has been given the official stamp of approval by the Oral Health Foundation after submitting scientific evidence that its tap water promotes healthier teeth and gums.
The news comes after new research from NHS Scotland revealed that the number of children in Scotland with no obvious sign of tooth decay has hit a record high.
Leaving the tap running while brushing for the recommended two-minutes can waste 15 litres of water – more than the recommended amount to drink in a week.
Ruaridh MacGregor, Corporate Affairs Manager at Scottish Water, said: “We’re so lucky to have such great drinking water coming straight out of the tap in Scotland – it’s something that we should never take for granted as it plays a vital role in the general health of the country.
“We’re very proud that our tap water has been officially recognised and hope that this encourages more people to choose to top up from the tap.
“We also hope that we can give kids an important lesson, which they can pass onto parents and other family members, of the important of conserving water by turning off the tap when you brush your teeth.”
The accolade from the Oral Health Foundation provides an important boost to Scottish Water’s Your Water Your Life campaign which aims to encourage people to top up from the tap to benefit the planet, their health and their pocket.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, said: "We are delighted to set this precedent by granting Scottish Water the use of our official Approved Stamp and hope that this will serve to make people more aware of the very real health benefits of drinking tap water.
"Water, along with milk, is the only drink that the Foundation recommends as completely safe for teeth as sugary drinks are a particular problem and, as they are often sipped throughout the day, can cause the teeth to be placed under almost constant acid attack.
"It contains no sugar, no calories and no acid and, from a holistic point of view, by guarding against everything from headaches to heart disease, it is massively important to a person's overall health."
Scottish Water’s latest research from August 2019 found that 86% of Scots think that Scottish Water is world class (increase of 4% from 82% in May 2018).Figures from NHS Scotland showed four out of five (80%) P7 children had no obvious decay experience in their permanent teeth in 2019 - up from 53% in 2005 when records began.
However, the data shows children in the poorest parts of Scotland are more likely to have decay than those in wealthier areas.
