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27 April 2006
Warwick dentists throw their weight behind fluoridation
Warwick dentists fully support water fluoridation as a safe and effective means of improving the oral health of residents in the region, and have backed the Australian Dental Association’s ongoing efforts towards ensuring it is made available for all Queenslanders.
At a meeting of the Warwick sub-branch last night attended by ADAQ President Robert McCray, he said all local private-practice dentists commended the Warwick Shire Council for its decision to consult with the community on fluoridation.
“The Warwick dentists are fully supportive of water fluoridation and believe it will safely and significantly improve oral health outcomes for their patients,” Dr McCray said.
Dr McCray said a small but vocal minority opposed to fluoridation continue to prevent 95 percent of Queenslanders from accessing this oral health benefit that has been safely and effectively available for decades to many, many millions of Australians living interstate.
“Directly or indirectly, all Queenslanders are paying for the epidemic of tooth decay in this state. People in decision-making positions need to be aware of the consequences of non-fluoridation. There is a moral obligation here which is often overlooked or dodged,” Dr McCray said.
“Each year, 2000 Queensland children under school age have tooth decay severe enough to require treatment under a general anaesthetic. This is an appalling situation. The risks associated with anaesthesia are far more tangible and serious than any perceived risks spruiked by the anti-fluoridationists.”
“All other Australian capital cities have provided fluoridated water for residents for the past 30 or 40 years with only positive health effects. Medical and dental experts endorse it as a safe, effective means of improving oral health.”
Last year Peter Forster’s health review highlighted that Queenslanders have the worst oral health in the nation and the drain that places on the state’s already overburdened public health system.
Townsville is the only Queensland city that provides fluoridated water for residents and Forster noted that Townsville children between the ages of five and 12 show a tooth decay rate that is 45 percent less than children living in Brisbane, the only Australian capital city with unfluoridated water.
Additionally, studies in Victoria show six-year-old children living in fluoridated areas experience 45 percent less decay in baby teeth than those in non-fluoridated areas, and 12-year-old children living in fluoridated areas experience 38 percent less decay in adult teeth than those in non-fluoridated areas.
A 2002 cost-benefit analysis found that water fluoridation returns $6-$20 in improved dental care for every $1 spent and is the most effective way to give everybody access to the benefits of fluoride regardless of age, income or education level.
Dr McCray said Warwick dentists were keen to see water fluoridation available because of the lifelong topical benefit it provides for existing teeth, which is an advantage across the population including the many senior citizens living in the region.
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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