Australian children have terrible teeth

Australian children have terrible teeth, researchers say, and oral health is decaying
By Sheradyn Holderhead From: AdelaideNow April 14, 2011 1:16PM
AUSTRALIAN children have terrible teeth and their oral health is getting worse, despite billions of dollars being spent on fixing the problem, Adelaide University researchers say.
Dental researchers from Adelaide University have been awarded $1.3 million to find out why the system is failing Australia's children.
Professor John Spencer from the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health will lead a national study over the next four years.
"Despite a substantial level of resources, approximately $1 billion dollars annually being directed to dental services for children in Australia in the last decade, their oral health is still a major public health problem," Professor Spencer says.
"After several decades of improvement, child oral health has worsened and inequalities have widened."
Latest statistics show that dental restorations and extractions are the most common reason for hospital admissions among Australian children under 14 years of age......

75% fluoridated: NYSCOF
Comments

nakia lamir of Bellingen Posted at 12:24 PM Today
When I first started teaching in Primary Schools in 1980, the Dental van would come around every year and check the students teeth. Those that needed fillings would get them fixed. Gradually they phased it out so that now the children don't have access to this fantastic facility. Instead the government seems to be hell bent on spending hundreds of thousands on forced water fluoridation as the panacea for bad oral health instead of oral education with the dental van - lessons on Brushing, flossing, eating healthy foods and drinking unfluoridated water. It is obvious that water fluoridation isn't the magic potion that will prevent cavities. As we can see from the studies in the US and elsewhere, children are being exposed to too much fluoride with dire consequences. See fluoridealert.org for more details on this hot topic.

Zofia Majak of Ettalong Posted at 12:19 PM Today
This is the proof that the compulsory water fluoridation doesn't help the teeth, not to mention the damage that the fluoride does to the general health.

Bill Kilvert of Cairns, Qld Posted at 12:10 PM Today
What a Joke - Putting John Spencer in charge of this program is like putting Dracula in charge of the Blood Bank. He is part of the problem as he is a strong advocate for water fluoridation and this is part of the problem. While people believe fluoride will fix teeth there will be no progress on this issue. The main ingredients to fixing dental decay is: regular brushing, a good wholesome diet and regular dental check-ups. Especially drastically reducing the intake of refined sugar. Yes it is hard work policing your children when advertising is blatant lying by omission. Take a popular brand of cornflakes for instance, they don't tell you it contains 30% sugar. Governments have to obtain a bit of backbone and legislate to ban junk food, sugar drinks and many confectionary items or there will be very many younger people in hospital beds in the future.