Pushback against fluoride move
NOT everyone is applauding the Waitaki District Council’s recent move to call a halt to the fluoridation of the Oamaru water supply.
The New Zealand Dental Association said, when contacted, it was concerned about delays to fluoridating water supplies and the extension of its availability in communities where it was technically feasible.
The council earlier this week requested an extension on the directive to fluoridate issued by the Ministry of Health, which will affect Oamaru’s water supply by the end of June.
The move was met with applause by members of Waitaki’s antifluoride community, which last month delivered the council a 554signature petition asking for it to stop all fluoridation plans.
New Zealand Dental Association dental policy director Dr Robin Whyman said the directorgeneral of health had invited written comments from the relevant local authority on the costs of adding fluoride to the local water supply, including additional costs of ongoing management and monitoring. But the facts spoke for themselves, Dr Whyman said. Ongoing research over many years had shown the effectiveness of community water fluoridation in reducing the burden of dental decay, he said.
‘‘A comprehensive 2017 review in Australia reported that community water fluoridation reduced tooth decay by 2644% in children and adolescents and by 27% in adults,’’ he said.
Cr Jim Hopkins asked at the meeting whether it was possible for consumers of a water source to give informed consent and said he wished there would be more academic debate on the issue.
The New Zealand Dental Association says the balance between consideration of the scientific issues associated with fluoridation by the directorgeneral of health and input on costs and technical issues through consultation with the local authority is the correct balance of decisionmaking. The directorgeneral must also consider scientific evidence on the effectiveness of adding fluoride to a drinking water supply.
‘‘This includes the likely state of oral health of the community where the water supply is situated, the numbers of people receiving water from the supply and the likely financial costs and savings,’’ Dr Whyman said. ‘‘Tooth decay has the potential to cause significant harm, and does lead to the hospitalisation of children and adults each year in New Zealand,’’ Dr Whyman said.
In 2014 the Chief Science Adviser for the Prime Minister and the Royal Society of New Zealand published a comprehensive report confirming that at the levels used in New Zealand water fluoridation was both safe and effective.
‘‘A further update review published in 2021 by the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser confirmed the conclusions of the 2014 report,’’ Dr Whyman said.
The order to fluoridate was sent to 14 councils around New Zealand in 2022 by then directorgeneral of health Sir Ashley Bloomfield.
The decision was found to be unlawful in November last year by the High Court, as Sir Ashley did not make consideration of the Bill of Rights Act, which allows anybody to refuse medical treatment.
The Ministry of Health is appealing the decision and whether the order will stand is still unknown.