Scone’s Dental Report

YESTERDAY the Australian Dental Association released a report card on dental health in Australia and said Scone residents were especially at risk of dental disease and the associated increased risks of cardiovascular disease, exacerbating diabetes and aspirational pneumonia.

Dr Hugo Sachs, president of the Australian Dental Association said 89 percent of the population has access to fluoridated water and lack of fluoride in the local water supply leads to worse dental health and said Council should act ‘yesterday’.

“It’s well noted that decay rates are significantly higher in areas without fluoridated water,” said Dr Sachs.

“I can give you a classic example, I had a patient about 20 years ago who made a tree change from Sydney to Cootamundra, he started a second family with his new wife and they had made a tree change,” he said

“His kids from the first marriage stayed in Sydney and they had absolutely no decay and he said he was on tank water and had come down specifically to get away from fluoridated water, I tried to explain the importance of fluoride but he was fairly fixed in his opinion,” he said.

“The next thing is the kids came in and had holes, so I said ‘you’ve got to control their diet’ and they still had holes and then after about 10 years he came in and said to me ‘I have to apologise to you because I now realise my second families teeth are terrible and my eldest kids are fine,” he said.

“In a rural practice I even see the difference between town kids on a fluoridated water supply and kids that live on farms with tank water,” he said.

“The other thing we see is in the baby boomer group and above have had horrendous dentistry in the past with massive fillings and teeth taken out left right and centre,” Dr Hugo Sachs said.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring element in water sources and it was found that in populations where the water supply was higher in fluoride, there was less dental disease.

Further studies found that fluoride makes teeth less susceptible to acidic attack and remineralises the teeth.

“As little as one part per million helps to remineralise holes that start and in developing teeth it helps build a stronger structure and reducing the likelihood of them decaying,” said Dr Sachs.

“If you don’t have water fluoridation then the next best thing is using a fluoridated toothpaste at least twice a day and the higher concentration fluoride toothpastes reduce the rate of decay,” he said.

Dr Sachs said he is frustrated by people who oppose fluoridation.

“To say carte blanche that one naturally occurring mineral is responsible for all manner of problems is just scientifically unfounded,” he said

“These things are taken up by zealots, but look if you don’t eat sugar and clean you teeth, lead a very boring life then you won’t get decay, but we don’t discipline ourselves to having zero sugar and even natural foods have natural sugars,” Dr Sachs said.

Currently the water supply from Glenbawn Dam is not fluoridated and Council has advised fluoride will not be added until a new water treatment plant is operational in 2021.

Ways to reduce tooth decay:

• Drink water as your preferred beverage
• Reduce the amount of sugar you consume
• Brush your teeth after eating sugary foods or drinks
• Watch for hidden sugars in processed foods
• Reduce carbonated and sugary drinks
• Brush with a high fluoride toothpaste twice a day
• Have a dental check every six months