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Letter to the editor
Gympie Times
16 May 2006
Dear Editor
ADAQ corrects record on mischievous misinformation
In response to A L Haack (May 13):
• The Australian Dental Association of Queensland receives the vast majority of its income from individual member dentist subscriptions. Other income is derived from fees received from running professional skills or approved training courses for dentists and staff. A small amount comes from other sources (eg paid advertising in our magazine and bank interest) as any reasonable person would expect from a non-profit organisation.
• Let me clearly state that the Association does NOT have any connection with and does NOT receive payment from the chemical industry or any organisation linked with the production of fluoride.
• Regarding Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer’s Australia Update Sheet dated September 2004 says any potential link with aluminium is unproven ‘ … no clear statements can be made about the role of aluminium as a possible cause of Alzheimer’s disease’. Clearly, the connection of Alzheimer’s with fluoridation is designed by those opposed to fluoridation simply to scare people.
• Sodium fluoride, sodium fluorosilicate and fluorosilicic acid are much better suited to water fluoridation than calcium fluoride as the fluoride ions are more readily absorbed by tooth enamel.
• The Association supports fluoridation because it has been proved repeatedly over many decades, in Australia and overseas, to provide a safe and effective oral health benefit to all.
The rights of the general public seem to be central to this debate. However, when people talk about their rights, we hear mostly from the few who are unwilling to support fluoridation. But, consider the other side. The minority group of people unwilling to support fluoridation seem to feel it is their right to impose the risks, damage, pain and costs of the failure to fluoridate on the Queensland community at large.
What about the rights of people suffering from extreme dental problems? A visit to any public dental clinic will quickly highlight what I am talking about. Where is the right and fairness in this?
Let me also say that of the 2000 or so member dentists who make up this Association, I have yet to hear of one who does not put the oral health of Queenslanders foremost. That is why the Association supports fluoridation.
Paul Andrews
CEO
Australian Dental Association
Queensland Branch
All of the information included on this web site is accurate to the best of knowledge of the Australian Dental Association (Queensland Branch). To make the text more readable for non-scientists, ADAQ has deliberately minimised attributions and links to supporting files or scientific attachments. However these sources are readily available if required and many can be found via www.health.qld.gov.au/fluoride. |
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