<< Back
to other fluoridation news
3 August 2006
Children suffer chronic tooth decay without water fluoridation
During 2005-2006, 121 children aged under four had such bad tooth decay they required treatment under general anaesthetic at Cairns Base Hospital according to The Cairns Post newspaper.
Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch President Dr Robert McCray said this is not a one-off statistic because each year in Queensland, 2000 children aged under six have tooth decay so severe that they require a general anaesthetic for dental repairs.
“In the face of this rising tide of tooth decay, dentists and doctors believe there is no valid reason to oppose water fluoridation,” Dr McCray said.
Dr McCray said these statistics are a shameful reflection on our elected representatives who have failed to enable Queensland to join with the rest of the Western world in providing the safe and effective benefits of fluoridated water for most residents.
He said reputable surveys in 2004 and 2005 show that the majority of Queenslanders want fluoridation, but a handful of the unwilling continue to be allowed to hold sway and our elected representatives fail to act in the interests of the population.
“Only 5 percent of Queenslanders (in Townsville, and a few smaller centres) have access to fluoridated water, while local and state government representatives continue to ring their hands and play political football with this issue as they have done for decades.”
“This demonstrates a tragic failure of public health policy for which the elected representatives must be accountable and for which Queensland taxpayers are paying, while children and adults face a lifetime of pain and suffering.”
This is Dental Health Week and while southern dentists are worried that increasing use of bottled water (without fluoride) is leading to increased tooth decay, the tragic irony for Queenslanders is that only 5 percent of residents in this state currently have access to fluoridated water on tap.
“About 15 million Australians in all other states have enjoyed the safe and effective benefits of water fluoridation with only positive outcomes. Those opposed would have us believe that adding fluoride to water would kill us all – but where are the skeletons in all the other states of Australia?
“Elected representatives have a responsibility to lead. They have an ethical and moral obligation to make decisions based on what is in the best interests of the majority. In the case of water fluoridation, the proven community-wide benefits suggest that state and local government representatives need to put aside their differences and reach an agreement based on credible scientific evidence.”
The ADAQ is campaigning for water fluoridation to be introduced in Queensland cities in an effort to help overcome ongoing economic and personal oral health disadvantage that has stemmed from the state’s long-term failure to provide fluoridated water for most residents.
Dr McCray urged local councillors and state members to take steps to overcome the current impasse which has seen no council introduce water fluoridation, despite the Beattie Government’s offer to fund the required infrastructure.
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. |
|
Give Queenslanders something to smile about