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Water quality |
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Fluoride was first introduced to drinking water in Australia in 1953 at Beaconsfield in Tasmania. Today more than 80% of Australians enjoy the benefit of water fluoridation. In South Australia, water fluoridation commenced in Adelaide in 1971. Currently 90% of the state’s communities have access to reticulated water with appropriate levels of fluoride. Organisations such as the World Health Organization and Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), endorse water fluoridation as a safe and effective public health measure. Furthermore, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention rated fluoridation one of the 10 most important public health achievements of the twentieth century. Australian reviews of safety and efficacy of fluoridation In 2007 a systematic review of published scientific literature was conducted by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) regarding the efficacy and safety of fluoride. Based on this review, the NHMRC recommends fluoridation of drinking water as the most effective and socially equitable means of achieving community-wide exposure to the caries prevention effects of fluoride. Following a request from bottled water manufacturers Food Standards Australia New Zealand assessed the safety of adding fluoride to bottled water. They concluded that the only potential adverse effect was mild-very mild fluorosis of teeth which is not visible to the naked eye and strengthens tooth enamel. As a result voluntary addition of fluoride to bottled water was approved. South Australia’s Oral Health Plan 2010-2017 Read about South Australia’s oral health plans, which support the recommendation by the NHMRC that drinking water should be fluoridated. This plan also identifies a number of other factors that impact on oral health such as diet, including consumption of sugary foods and drinks, dental hygiene, access to services and costs associated with dental care. Purity of Fluoride
SA
Water uses high quality hydrofluorosilicic acid purchased from a
certified and accredited company to fluoridate drinking water supplies.
The chemical quality is assured on delivery through the provision of a
full certificate of compliance from an independent NATA-accredited
laboratory. SA drinking water quality results can be downloaded from the SA Water Annual Reports webpage. For more information about fluoridation chemicals, see the US National Science Foundation Fact Sheet on Fluoridation Chemicals (PDF 73KB). Mount Gambier Fluoridation Project A 2004 survey by SA Dental Service showed that children in Mount Gambier have 78 percent more decay than children from Adelaide and 40% more than children in the Riverland. As of October 2010, controlled amounts of fluoride will be introduced to the Mount Gambier water supply after it is taken from the Blue Lake.
Interstate Resources Interstate health authorities have also reviewed the safety of fluoridation and produced the following responses to frequently asked questions. Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH) ARCPOH has published a number of papers and reports demonstrating the benefits of water fluoridation. The following ARCPOH reports show that fluoridation is effective in reducing dental caries: Who else supports fluoridation? The Quebec National Public Health Institute published a document titled: Water Fluoridation: An analysis of the health benefits and risks 2007 (PDF 371KB), which lists over 100 international agencies that support fluoridation (see Appendix 1). Other related links: |
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