A SCOTTISH schoolboy yesterday claimed an important victory in his

legal battle to sue toothpaste manufacturers for allegedly causing

fluorosis, which he claims has discoloured his teeth. Douglas Woods, 12,

of Culloch Road, Bearsden, near Glasgow, is one of 13 children from

throughout the UK who have raised the action for compensation.

Their families blame excessive intake of fluoride, and say the various

manufacturers of paste, drops, or pills failed to warn of the risks. The

group's application for legal aid was rejected last year but, at the

High Court in London yesterday, Mr Justice Schiemann opened the way for

a full judicial review of the decision not to fund their cases.

Counsel for the children, Mr Robin Allen, said fluorosis meant they

faced dental treatment for the rest of their lives, with the veneer on

their teeth having to be replaced every 10 years. In all the cases, the

families could identify the manufacturer whose product had been used by

the children ''most of the time since the age of three''. None had

carried warnings, despite the fact that the risk of fluorosis had been

identified, ''at least since the 1920s'', he said.