AMA Queensland has warned that dangerous misinformation about fluoride in water supplies is causing unnecessary fear and concern in communities about the safety of this naturally occurring mineral and is leading to a backlash against medical and health experts who advocate for fluoridation.
“Councils must act in the interests of their community by reinstating water fluoridation to ensure all Queensland communities have health equity,” AMA QLD president Dr Nick Yim said.
“Councils must take on the advice of experts such as doctors and dentists which is scientifically based. We commend our doctors for consistently advocating for water fluoridation as a form of preventative health, despite the personal backlash.”
Recently, AMA QLD collaborated with the Australian Dental Association Queensland to advocate for the retention and reinstatement of fluoridation in all LGAs.
“Water fluoridation is one of the safest, easiest and most effective methods to reduce the prevalence and severity of oral disease,” Dr Lim said.
“It has been described as one of the 10 great public health measures of the 20th century and actually saves money.”
Dr Yim said that the arguments against fluoride have been repeatedly disproven, and its benefits are clear. AMA Queensland has therefore repeatedly called on the state government to reintroduce mandatory fluoridation across the state.
Water fluoridation is supported by a robust and widely accepted body of research dating back to the 1950s that shows it reduces tooth decay by 26 per cent in children and 27 per cent in adults. It does this by strengthening tooth enamel and making teeth more decay-resistant, getting rid of early decay before it becomes permanent and stopping bacteria in the mouth from producing acids which lead to tooth decay.
“Currently, one in 10 Queenslanders do not have enough functional teeth to chew food,” Dr Lim said.
“The risk of dental disease is also much higher among disadvantaged populations such as First Nations people and children, many of whom live in regional and rural areas of the state.
“Not only will water fluoridation save the lives of our most vulnerable, but it will save our health system millions of dollars.”
