New South Wales Health says fluoride will soon be added to Coffs Harbour’s water supply to help combat tooth decay, but it will not say when.
The project manager of Teeth for Health, John Irving, says there is overwhelming evidence to support fluoride’s safety and effectiveness.
He says while it is already found in toothpaste and some foods, children and adults are not getting enough.
Mr Irving says the a minority oppose fluoridation but a far greater number support it.
“The latest summary of the research was conducted by the National Health and Medical Research Council just over 15 months ago where it did a meta-analysis,” he said.
“That analysis of all that research still shows that fluoride is effective and safe. There’s a lot of misunderstanding and a lot of myths relating to water fluoridation.”