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29 March 2006
Fluoridation is safe and beneficial at appropriate levels
Many naturally-occurring substances such as fluoride are beneficial in small doses but harmful in large doses, as has been highlighted in a recent report into Americans drinking water naturally fluoridated at or above four parts per million (4ppm).
The Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch President Robert McCray said the Australian recommended level of fluoride to provide a safe and cost-effective oral health benefit is about 1ppm – which is significantly less than that reported in the American study.
The United States National Academy of Sciences study has found that about 200,000 Americans are drinking water that is higher than the US Government’s standard because of naturally occurring high levels of fluoride.
However, Dr McCray said it is important to note the report does not examine risks or benefits from the controlled and strategic inclusion of small doses of fluoride well below that level.
“Any authority supplying water for residents that contains naturally-occurring fluoride at 4ppm clearly needs to look at removing, not adding, fluoride from its supply,” Dr McCray said.
Dr McCray said higher levels of naturally occurring fluoride may be found in hot or volcanic parts of Queensland – such as Julia Creek, Thargomindah, Barcaldine – and based on this American study they would be advised to extract fluoride from community water supplies.
“Many naturally substances are beneficial in small quantities but harmful in large doses, so these results are not surprising,“ Dr McCray said.
However, Dr McCray said the research results in no way report on community water fluoridation, which is the process of adding small amounts of fluoride to public water supplies to an optimal level (in the range 0.7-1.2ppm) in order to protect teeth against decay.
Dr McCray said that in all Australian states and territories except Queensland, 70-100 percent of Australians have for about 30 to 40 years enjoyed the safe oral health benefits of fluoridated water– with only positive results.
“Less than 5 percent of Queenslanders have access to fluoridation and this has led to Queenslanders developing a reputation as having the worst teeth in the nation.”
“ADAQ believes the significant amount of disinformation circulating about fluoridation is based on emotional, speculative scaremongering. These recent research results have the potential to further confuse the situation,” Dr McCray said.
Dr McCray said the Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch has been following the anti-fluoridation campaign as a matter of professional interest and does not believe it contains any credible or valid argument against fluoridation.
More than 100 of the world’s leading health and scientific authorities including the following:
Australian Medical Association; World Health Organisation; UK Medical Research Council; The Royal College of Physicians (UK); US-based Centers for Disease Control; American Medical Association; US Public Health Service; Australian Public Health Association and Queensland Health have endorsed fluoridation of water supplies as a safe and cost-effective public health measure.
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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