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20 February 2006
Dentists call on pro-fluoridation majority to become
proactive
The Australian Dental Association says Queenslanders in favour
of fluoridation need to become proactive in voicing their opinions
to local and state representatives and in letters to newspapers
if they want to bring about change on this issue.
ADA Queensland Branch President Robert McCray said government
surveys show that three-quarters of Queenslanders support fluoridation,
with a Local Government Association of Queensland survey late
last year finding 73 percent support it and a Queensland Health
survey in November 2004 generating a similar result.
Dr McCray said the small but noisy minority opposed to fluoridation
continues to prevent 95 percent of Queenslanders from accessing
this oral health benefit that has been safely and effectively
available for decades to the many millions of Australians living
in every other capital city except Brisbane.
"Directly or indirectly, all Queenslanders are paying for the
epidemic of tooth decay in this state. There's a great divide
created by the lack of fluoridation in Queensland that is becoming
more obvious as more southerners move north and discover this
anomaly," 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-fluoridation brigade," Dr McCray said.
"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 from around the world
overwhelmingly 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.
The Forster report also said water fluoridation returns $6 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 Queenslanders in favour of fluoridation need
to organise themselves and ensure that their views were heard
with the same frequency and volume as the minority anti-fluoridationists.
Dr McCray said water fluoridation provides a topical benefit
for existing teeth and a foundation benefit for developing teeth,
which has lifelong implications. Alternative fluoride supplements
are expensive and require strict adherence, which is difficult
for most to maintain over time.
Contact: Robert McCray on 0412 145 771 or Michael Foley on 0412
128 956.
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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