Rates of Childhood Decay Alarmingly High in Queensland
Rates of childhood decay are alarmingly high in Queensland, Australia, it has been revealed.
Figures show that 3,223 children under the age of 10 were admitted to hospital in Queensland in 2013-2014. More than 50 percent of children seen by public dentists in the state in 2014-2015 also had signs of dental decay. The average child had four decayed teeth.
The Queensland figures are significantly higher than those in the rest of the country. Rates for children aged 5-10 were 20 percent higher than the national average and figures for children aged 9-14 years were 33 percent higher.
There are concerns that changes in water fluoridation may have contributed to the alarming statistics. Although more children receive fluoridated water than they did in 2008 when it was made compulsory in the state, the number has fallen since 2012, when councils were given the legal right to opt out of fluoridation schemes. Now, only a third of councils add fluoride to the water supplies.
Michael Foley from the Australian Dental Association explained that health boards are spending a fortune on treating decay and providing hospital treatment for children who are suffering from a preventable disease. Mr Foley stated that water fluoridation saved “truckloads of money” and urged councils to reconsider their stance on the matter.
Dentists are worried that councils are bowing to pressure from anti-fluoride activities and protest groups and this is contributing to rising rates of decay. Anti-fluoride campaigners believe that fluoride poses health risks, but fluoridation initiatives are supported by the vast majority of dentists and public health professionals.
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