Residents urged to vote yes on fluoride

Dental Society urges residents to vote yes to reintroduction of fluoride

Residents in the far north towns of Kaitaia and Kaikohe face an increased risk of tooth decay while fluoridation remains out of the reticulated water supplies, says the New Zealand School and Community Oral Health Services Society (the Society).

The Far North District Council resolved last year to remove fluoride from its water supply, subject to further public consultation. Postal ballots for a ratepayer’s referendum have just been sent out to decide whether water fluoridation will be reintroduced into these two towns. Ratepayers need to return voting papers by 30 April.

Ms Barbara Dewson, Vice President of the Society and a practicing Dental Therapist says, “the people of Kaitaia and Kaikohe have a choice to make. We are urging them to vote yes to fluoridation.

“Water fluoridation is the single most effective, practical and safe means of reducing and controlling the amount and severity of dental decay in a community. It is not just children who suffer dental decay; adults will continue to lose teeth and suffer from poor oral health if fluoride is not reintroduced.”

Sathananthan Kanagaratnam, Clinical Director of Auckland Regional Dental Service says, “Poor oral health, mainly tooth decay, affects the growth, development and well being of children and has a significant impact on later life.

“Water fluoridation is effective in reducing dental decay and acts irrespectively of an individual's behaviour or socio-economic status, therefore immediately addressing some of the ethnic and socio-economic inequalities in oral health. Fluoridation provides lifetime benefit of preventing tooth decay despite the wide availability of fluoride toothpaste.”

Ms Dewson says a recent study released by the Northland District Health Board concluded that children living in areas with water fluoridation experienced additional oral health benefits.

The study was commissioned by the Northland District Health Board, the Ministry of Health and the New Zealand Dental Association to monitor the oral heath status of children in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas of Northland.

“Despite areas in the Far North only having water fluoridation for two years the results are favourable. Significant water fluoridation benefits are normally only seen after four to five years, however in this study some beneficial effects were observed in high risk populations within two years of water fluoridation being introduced.”

The study concluded and reiterated that water fluoridation is effective in reducing cavities, especially in a child population with rates of tooth decay which are extremely high by modern standards.

Ms Dewson says the Society was extremely disappointed when the Far North District Council resolved in April last year to discontinue fluoridating Kaitaia and Kaikohe’s water supplies after only two years, especially as fluoridation had shown significant benefits.

Ms Dewson says " If the Far North District Council respond positively and reintroduce water fluoridation (at the safe and effective level of 0.7parts per million) into Kaitaia and Kaikohe soon, then research shows we can expect a drop of up to 30% in dental decay levels in children living in these areas after four years. This is compelling.”

To view full results of the study by the Northland District Health Board visit www.communityteeth.org.nz/releases

ENDS

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