A lot of the recent debate around water fluoridation has focused on the science of effectiveness versus potential harm. How much does it reduce tooth decay, and does it still do that as much now in a higher fluoride environment when many people use fluoride toothpaste as it did 70 years ago when it was first introduced? Is there more evidence of potential health risks, from cancer to cognitive issues and lower IQ?
But one area – that is probably implicit in this debate but is often not fully explored – is the ethical side. It’s not so much whether we can, but whether we should. Last month, Utah became the first state in the USA to ban fluoride in public drinking water and just last week a local mayor in Florida vetoed a county decision to remove fluoride, pushing back a little against a vote that seemed more about politics than health. In Australia we recently saw Cook Shire Council in far north Queensland also vote to cease water fluoridation.
What we are seeing is a distortion of public health ethics – allowing a small number of fellow citizens to impose a disadvantage on the community at large for the sake of protecting their individual autonomy.
In this episode of the Dental As Anything podcast we explore some of the ethical principles that underpin public health measures, moving beyond beneficence and non-maleficence to consider how we balance individual autonomy with the broader public good, and the role of justice.
Give Medicare Teeth Campaign
The Give Medicare Teeth campaign was launched on World Oral Health Day on 20 March. To date it has had good reach across a range of social media platforms, great engagement and support from the public and thousands of visits to the campaign website. More than 100 people have let us know that they have emailed their candidates in the upcoming election, and a number of those candidates have let us know that they are committed to supporting action to improve access to dental care if they are elected to the next parliament.
Monique Ryan (Kooyong) supports including dental care in Medicare.
Ben Ryan (Flinders) wants to expand Medicare to include basic dental care starting with seniors.
Helen Huang (Melbourne) says that Medicare should also cover essential dental and mental health check-ups.
Caz Heise (Cowper) supports the recommendations of the 2023 Senate Committee and will advocate for their implementation, starting with expanding Medicare to cover essential oral healthcare and properly funding the public system to end long wait times.
If you believe that there is a need to improve access to dental care in Australia, regardless of which particular model that you support, I encourage you to visit the Give Medicare Teeth website, find your electorate and email your candidates and ask them to commit to action. You can download social media tiles to share the message across your network.
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