Page 1512 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 27 September 1989
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Fluoridation is something that should not be discussed in a democratic society. The suggestion of forcing the population - every man, woman, child, plant and animal - to take a medicine that supposedly only benefits the teeth of children up to the age of 12 would more suit a totalitarian regime than a democracy.
So let us have a look at the effect on teeth. Is there any benefit to young children's teeth from fluoride? One of the studies that is used throughout the world to show that there is a wonderful benefit for children's teeth is the Hastings study in New Zealand. Let us look at the facts behind that study. The study started out with the control town of Napier. After some years, when it was shown in a dental survey of two towns in 1957 that the children aged under 10 in Napier, the unfluoridated town, had better teeth than those in the fluoridated town of Hastings, Napier was dropped as a control and is not now mentioned.
Dr John Colquhoun was the chairman of the Dental Health Association of New Zealand and the chief dental officer in Auckland. He was a strong promoter of fluoride for New Zealand. He was a respected member of the Health Department - that is, until he started to speak against fluoride. He presented figures that showed that up to 23 per cent of mottling was occurring in the children's teeth in Auckland.
Let us have a look at what mottling is and, once again, let us have a look at the facts of these matters. Mottling is when the permanent teeth of children tend to erupt more or less chalky white in colour and later tend to become pitted and stained yellow, brown or almost black with heavy ingestion of fluoride. Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary defines mottled enamel as "a chronic endemic dental fluorosis that is found in communities using a drinking water that contains one part or more per million" - one part per million, that part that is added to the water of Canberra.
In the book that Mr Humphries mentioned by the NHMRC, the report of the working party on fluorides in the control of dental caries, under dental fluorosis it states:
The use of fluoridated water at recommended levels during tooth formation may lead to some insignificant dental mottling. This is not of aesthetic significance.
Tell that to the children who will not smile because they are embarrassed by badly mottled teeth.
Mr Berry: How many do you know?
MR STEVENSON: I know a number, Wayne. I have personally spoken to a number of people who have mottling of teeth. One woman was told that the mottling was brought about by using the wrong toothpaste. That is what a dentist told
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