Fluoridation backed by national dental health report

The Bligh Government’s decision to fluoridate Queensland’s water supplies is backed by compelling evidence in today’s national dental health report, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

Mr Robertson said the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report reaffirmed Queensland – the only non-fluoridated state - as having the worst teeth in Australia.

“Queensland has the highest levels of decay experience or deciduous teeth amongst children and the lowest percentages of children with no decay experience,” he said.

The report concluded

“children from areas where drinking water contained negligible fluoride had poorer health than did children from areas with either naturally or artificially fluoridated water” and

‘the poorer dental health in children from areas with negligible levels of fluoride in the water persisted across differing areas of residential location and levels of socioeconomic disadvantage”.

Mr Robertson said the report confirmed fluoride as a proven way of reducing dental decay for the whole population, particularly amongst children.

“Other states and Townsville have had fluoridated water for 30 to 40 years and they have better teeth than the average Queenslander,” he said.

“The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has called it one of the most effective public health measures of the last century and surveys have consistently found the overwhelming majority of Queenslanders in support of fluoride.”

Mr Robertson said by 2012, more than 90% of Queenslanders would be drinking fluoridated water through the State Government’s $35 million capital program.

17 December,  2007
MEDIA: Joshua Cooney 3234 1185