In responding to the recent release by the Ministry of Health of 2017 oral health statistics for Year 8 (12 year olds) Northland DHB oral health advisor Neil Croucher in referring to the relatively poor state of oral health in Northland, said, “If we did have fluoride in the water here in Northland it would make a heap of difference.”
Dr Croucher is simply chanting the dental establishment pro-fluoridation mantra without any cognisance of the wider bodily effects of swallowing a cumulative toxin over time.
Uncontrolled mass medicating of a community water supply with fluoride is a flawed practice, with marginal gains in dental health at best.
The 2017 stats show that for all ethnicities of 12 year olds the difference between the fluoridated and non-fluoridated cohorts (24,129 and 18,666 respectively) is just one-fifth of a decayed, missing or filled tooth. Spending millions nationwide to close this gap is nuts.
Poor dental heath in Northland is not the absence of fluoridation but the failure of the NDHB oral health division to aggressively promote basic oral hygiene, like brushing twice a day with toothpaste, making sure people (particularly children) have access to those products, and campaigning assertively against sugary drinks.
When did anyone see widespread public advertisement on these issues like occurred some years ago when the NDHB promoted fluoridation for Kaitaia and Kaikohe?
The floodgates of fluoride research are just opening, and there have been about 45 published peer-reviewed studies on fluoride so far this year. The NDHB should take note that most all report harm and little or no benefit.
ROSS FORBES
Kerikeri
*See original letter at http://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/forbes.northland-age.11-13-18.pdf
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