Prof Wendell Evans supports water fluoridation partly on the basis of the results of the 2004-2006 National Survey of Adult Oral Health. However, when the dental data from the eight State and Territory reports of this survey are examined, it is found that adults from the heavily fluoridated states such as NSW have just the same amount of tooth decay as adults in then un-fluoridated Queensland. It appears that drinking fluoridated water for 40 years or more has not reduced tooth decay in adults.
Prof Evans also referred to the Blue Mountains study. In 2003 when the tooth decay for this study was collected, it was acknowledged that tooth decay in NSW was being widely underestimated due to the way it was measured in the SOKS (Save Our Kids Smiles ) program. Because of this underestimation, NSW results were not used in calculating the Australian averages.
I, for one, strongly oppose forced water fluoridation which is and always will be, unethical forced mass medication.
Merilyn Haines
On behalf of Fluoride Action Network Australia Inc
Pallara Qld
