Amount of fluoride added to public water in ppm by postcode in Australia, 1964-1977 and 2012.[1]
Australia is one of many countries that have water fluoridation programs currently operating (see Water fluoridation by country). As of March 2012, artificially fluoridated drinking water is administered to 70% or more of the population in all states and territories. The acceptance of the benefits of water fluoridation occurred in Australia in December 1953, roughly two years after acceptance in the United States.[2] Many of Australia's drinking water supplies subsequently began fluoridation in the 1960s and 1970s. By 1984 almost 66% of the Australian population had fluoridated drinking water, represented by 850 towns and cities.[3][4] Some areas within Australia have natural fluoride levels in the groundwater, which was estimated in 1991 to provide drinking water to approximately 0.9% of the population.[3]
A key difference between the implementation of drinking water fluoridation in the United States and Australia was the impact of temperature and climate on water consumption. Temperatures are a key factor in the establishment of legislative requirements, such as the Water Fluoridation Regulation 2008[5] in Queensland, that prescribes concentrations of fluoride to be added to the water. Consequently, areas with higher average temperatures require less fluoride to be added to the drinking water to achieve the same oral health benefits. The tropical conditions found in parts of Australia, such as Queensland, also make it difficult to maintain fluoridation equipment due to higher levels of corrosion caused by the wet climate.
The addition of fluoride to a drinking water supply is generally governed by the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.[6] The Guidelines recommend a health-related guideline value (maximum concentration) of 1.5 mg/L for fluoride, which mirrors the World Health Organization Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality 2006.[7] Guidance on the concentration of fluoride has been present in the Guidelines since 1983.
The National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) issued a Public Statement in 2017 on Water Fluoridation and Human Health in Australia. The statement says “There is reliable evidence that community water fluoridation helps to prevent tooth decay. The consequences of tooth decay are considerable: dental pain, concern about appearance, costs due to time off school and work, and costs of dental treatment. There is no reliable evidence of an association between community water fluoridation at current Australian levels and any health problems.”[8]
^"Dental Practice Education Research Unit at The University of Adelaide". www.adelaide.edu.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
^"Water Fluoridation: The Engineers' Contribution" (PDF). Retrieved 12 January 2018.
^ ab"Inquiry into Water Fluoridation in the ACT - Report by the Standing Committee on Social Policy, 1991" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
^Commonwealth Department of Health, Fluoridation of Water: A Collection. 9; Commonwealth Department of Health, Fluoridation of Water in Australia 1984 (Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1985), 13.
^Water Fluoridation Regulation 2008. "In force legislation - Queensland Legislation - Queensland Government" (PDF). www.legislation.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 12 January 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011". National Health and Medical Research Council. 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
^"WHO | Guidelines for drinking-water quality, fourth edition". WHO. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
^"2017 Public statement – Water Fluoridation and Human Health in Australia". NHMRC. 2017.
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