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Consuming water with fluoride in quantities used for public supplies is safe: study reassures
Research from the University of Queensland has found no link between community water fluoridation and negative effects on children's brain development. Professor Loc Do, from UQ's School of Dentistry, said the study examined the difference between the brain development and function of children who were exposed to fluoridated water in early childhood and those who were not. We found that emotional and behavioral development, as well as functions such as memory and self-control, were at least equivalent to those not exposed to fluoridated water. In other words, there was no difference in...
Consuming water with fluoride in quantities used for public supplies is safe: study reassures
Research from the University of Queensland has found no link between community water fluoridation and negative effects on children's brain development.
Professor Loc Do byUQ's School of Dentistry said the study looked at the difference between the brain development and function of children who were exposed to fluoridated water in early childhood and those who were not.
We found that emotional and behavioral development, as well as functions such as memory and self-control, were at least equivalent to those not exposed to fluoridated water.In other words, there was no difference in child development and function associated with fluoridated water.This result shows that consuming water containing fluoride at levels used for public supplies in Australia is safe and supports the continuation and expansion of fluoridation programs.”
Loc Do, Professor, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland
Currently, about 90 percent of the Australian population has access to fluoridated water, but in Queensland the figure is 71 percent.
Many regional areas in Queensland and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are not subject to a fluoridation program.
“A small but vocal group of people sometimes claim that water fluoridation can have negative effects on neurological development, particularly in young children,” Professor Do said.
“These concerns may impact community and public health support for the practice, but our research provides reassurance that it is safe and supports its expansion to additional communities.”
“This is an important message as fluoride is extremely effective in preventing tooth decay and its use in water and toothpaste has been credited with significant improvements in the dental health of children in Australia.”
Dental caries (also known as tooth decay or cavities) is the most common chronic childhood disease worldwide, causing pain and infection and can lead to tooth extraction.
The UQ study looked at child participants in the 2012-2014 Australian National Child Oral Health Study aged 12 to 17 years.
Their emotional and behavioral development was measured using a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and executive brain function was measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - both tools widely used in population health surveys.
The study was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council project grant and is a collaboration between the University of Queensland, the University of Adelaide and the University of Western Australia in Australia, and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.
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