The ‘Yes’ case with references

PORT MACQUARIE-HASTINGS FLUORIDATION MENU

The ‘Yes’ case as reference material

A community poll on fluoridation was scheduled for 4 December 2021. Instead of this poll, NSW Health has agreed to answer a number of relevant questions.

Fluoride Free Australia provided the ‘Yes’ case for the poll, to be distributed to the community, and this material is retained below as a detailed reference. At the right of each statement are links to relevant supporting documents.

The community poll was to read:

Yes or No: Do you want Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to permanently cease adding fluoride (hydrofluorosilicic acid) to the drinking water supply?

Par#

Individual paragraphs of the 'Yes' case

Reference material (PDF and web page)

❶

Hydrofluorosilicic acid, used for water fluoridation, is toxic, contaminated waste from fertiliser manufacture. It is otherwise largely unsaleable and has never been tested safe for consumption.

Fluoridation chemicals

Source of fluoride

Fluoridation chemicals

❷

Health effects: There is substantial and growing research associating fluoride ingestion with various adverse health effects, especially to bone, brain, kidneys, thyroid and pineal glands.

In particular, several large US-government-funded studies report that fluoridation chemicals damage the developing brain of fetus, infant and child.

Fluoride harms

FAN Study Tracker

Summary of fluoridation

Lack of safety

Neurological damage

Stream of science

❸

Effectiveness: There is no difference in tooth decay rates between fluoridated and nonfluoridated countries and regions

Summary of fluoridation (NOT effetive)

Fluoride is not effective

❹

The Cochrane Review (2015), a meta-analysis of all relevant studies worldwide, concluded: (i) there is no benefit shown for adults or socio-economically disadvantaged children; (ii) fluoride damages teeth through dental fluorosis; (iii) tooth decay does not rise when fluoridation ceases; and
(iv) fluoridation might save on average about one cavity per child, but most studies are old and poor quality.

Cochrane Review our summary

Cochrane Review Summary

York Review letter

Fluoride in Queensland (Relative vs absolute % differences)

❺

Entrenched policy: Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has endorsed fluoridation since 1953, but their reviews have excluded many toxicity studies and they have not financed even their own recommended safety studies.

Excluded toxicity studies

NO safety studies

❻

Water fluoridation has been pursued since 2004 as entrenched policy, largely ignoring the science, while giving no choice or objection.

Entrenched policy

❼

Cost: Fluoridation costs Council and Ratepayers around $280,000 annually.

Cost to PMHC

Source of fluoride (Quantities and cost)

Cost effectiveness

❽

> Not even 5% of global population is fluoridated; 98% of Europe rejected, ceased or banned it;

Less than 5%

Rejected by Europe

De-fluoridation

❾

> Sugar is the major cause of tooth decay;

Sugar & tooth decay

Sugary drinks

Oral Health Tracker

❿

> Fluoride may work topically, but it’s not a nutrient and is recommended not to be ingested;

NOT a nutrient

Letter to ARCPOH

Dental fluorosis

A failed experiment, water fluoridation must end. Instead, we need universal dental care for all Australians, like Medicare.

Failed experiment

Letter to AMA

Grattan Institute's recommendation

Fluoride Free Australia are citizens and scientific specialists committed to ending fluoridation.

This information has been supplied by Fluoride Free Australia: fluoridefreeaustralia.org.

Four documents were provided to PMHC at their request, to substantiate four particular elements of the ‘Yes’ case.