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Water fluoridation is a cost-effective preventative measure
19 July 2006
Townsville remains the only Queensland city that provides fluoridated water for its residents and research confirms its children have fewer cavities and require less dental treatment as a result, according to Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch President Robert McCray.
Visiting Mackay dentists this week as part of a regional tour to discuss water fluoridation and the statewide shortage of dentists, Dr McCray said 95 percent of Queensland residents continue to be deprived of fluoridated water because of scaremongering and a lack of political will.
Dr McCray said water fluoridation is a cost-effective preventative measure that provides annual savings of about $18 per person – a figure that was confirmed by new research presented at the recent International Association for Dental Research conference in Brisbane.
He said earlier research has shown that Townsville children had 32 to 55 percent less baby tooth surfaces with fillings, and 20 to 65 percent less permanent tooth surfaces with fillings compared with children living in non-fluoridated Brisbane.
“It is reprehensible that each year 2000 Queensland children aged under six have tooth decay so severe they require a general anaesthetic (with its associated risks) to have their teeth repaired or removed,” Dr McCray said.
He said medical opinion overwhelmingly favours water fluoridation, with medical professionals of the calibre of 2006 Australian of the Year Professor Ian Frazer and 2005 Senior Queensland Australian of the Year Professor John Pearn supporting it as safe and effective.
Professors Frazer and Pearn are advocates for fluoridation on the ADAQ website www.fluoridationqld.com, which provides an opportunity for ordinary Queenslanders – the majority of whom are in favour of fluoridation – to sign an e-petition or write a letter in support.
“Despite this high-level medical endorsement about the safety and effectiveness of this public health measure, we still have no action on the fluoridation front in Queensland and no uptake of the Beattie Government’s offer to fund the required infrastructure,” Dr McCray said.
Water fluoridation was put back on the Queensland political agenda when the 2005 Forster Report highlighted the ongoing economic and personal oral health disadvantage that has resulted from Queensland’s failure to provide fluoridated water for most residents.
“It is outrageous that a relatively small number of ill-informed quasi-health experts continue to be allowed to derail public debate on this issue and leave generations of Queenslanders without the safe, easy and effective oral health benefits available to 75 percent of other Australians.”
Dr McCray said it is morally repugnant that a few unwilling people continue to impose their views on this state, and he urged local councillors and the State Government to take steps to overcome the current impasse which has seen no council making any move towards water fluoridation.
“Dental Health Week 2006 (31 July – 4 August) is a very appropriate time to be considering the positive impact that water fluoridation would have in terms of improved long-term oral health outcomes for all Queenslanders.”
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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Give Queenslanders something to smile about