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Fluoride fiasco a failure of political will
Perspectives, The Courier-Mail.
15 December 2006
There are 2000 Queensland children (aged less than six) each year with teeth so rotten they need a general anaesthetic to repair them.
In Logan right now, there are 650 children on waiting lists to have an average of 8.5 teeth extracted or filled.
A similar number are waiting in Brisbane’s north. Most of those children are from poorer areas.
While advocating action on fluoride over the past year, I’ve been appalled by the failure of elected leaders to provide leadership on water fluoridation.
I have observed the names of those who write the anti-letters. They include one doctor, one nutritionist (who is married to the doctor) and about 20 other individuals from Mackay down to Warwick.
That strident few are backed by a small network of seemingly well-credentialed opponents – many of them non-medical – who utilise the internet and email to do an effective snow-job with their minority view.
They inhibit elected leaders in this state from adopting a public health recommendation endorsed by all Australian medical groups and the World Health Organisation.
The local branches of the Australian Medical Association, the Australian Dental Association, the Public Health Association and the Pharmaceutical Society recently formed the Queensland Oral Health Alliance to advocate for it.
On the pro side, there are not just individuals, there are organisations comprised of thousands of medical professionals – but do you think Mr Beattie would show leadership on water fluoridation?
He hasn’t so far, even though health reformer Peter Forster said Queensland must recognise the high cost and consequences of the state’s ongoing failure to fluoridate.
Public health is a state government responsibility – Peter Beattie just ducked it again last year by supporting water fluoridation only to the point of offering to pay councils’ infrastructure costs to introduce it. No council has.
Isn’t the state leader’s job to consider the greater good and act on it? The Premier doesn’t seem to appreciate he has an oral health crisis looming.
Public sector dentistry is about to implode. There are chronic staff shortages and escalating demand from all those Queensland ‘children’ who missed out on water fluoridation over the years. And with more of the elderly retaining their own teeth, there is burgeoning demand in that category too.
Dentists support water fluoridation for altruistic reasons – it is in everyone’s best interest to avail a public health benefit that has been on tap for the past 30-50 years for 15 million Australians living anywhere but Queensland.
Queensland leaders are allowing the silent epidemic of poor oral health – with its serious implications for general health – to continue unabated.
The decision about water fluoridation is one for the executive level of government. Peter Beattie should arrange things so he can ask his chief health officer for a recommendation and act on that.
A referendum is unsuitable because the people do not have the technical knowledge to separate claim and counter-claim, and when in doubt are likely to vote to maintain the status quo.
Fluoridation has a known public health benefit but dentists do not claim it is a silver bullet for preventing decay – it simply gives a better chance to all those less able to look after themselves fully.
A recent ACOSS report on access to dental services in Australia echoed the National Oral Health Plan 2004-2011 (gathering dust on the shelves of the Queensland Government) which asks for water fluoridation for all communities over 1000 people.
A Queensland cost-benefit study indicates potential savings of $1 billion over 30 years in oral health care if water fluoridation is introduced, which is money that can then be reinvested in health promotion.
The minority objectors can use reverse osmosis filters to remove it, or use bottled water if they feel so strongly about it.
The state government should mandate what is in the public benefit, rather than continue to allow anti-fluoridationists to impose their minority view on the majority. Show leadership for goodness sake.
Dr Robert McCray
Australian Dental Association (Qld Branch)
fluoridation spokesman (or immediate past president)
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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