Consider the costs of dental decay FOR ONE TOOTH ONLY...

COST of a ONE simple filling - $150 to 300 (depends on tooth, procedure required etc)

COST of a crown to repair ONE broken tooth - $1,000 to 2,500 (depends on tooth etc)

COST to replace ONE lost tooth due to decay - $2,000 to $ 6,000 (depends whether involves bridge, implant etc)

COST of the pain, discomfort and distress associated with a toothache, lost tooth or inability to chew food properly?? Well can you put a dollar value on this - we probably all have different values but we'll assume that if you have the ability to get to this site and read about water fluoridation you would generally value quality dental health!

NOTE: The above examples are offered as a guide only and don't represent any fee structure adopted by ADAQ members

SO... you quickly get the picture. There is a huge price to repairing decayed teeth and Water Fluoridation is the single most PROVEN cost effective public health measure for reducing tooth/ dental decay (also known as caries). While many of us don't have access to public funded dental care (free for most health card card holders and seniors) imagine how much money the Governments of Australia would have spare if there was less dental decay. Maybe that would mean less taxes or more funding for other critical health care ?

The local councils of Rockhampton, Yeppoon and Gladstone have determined in recent years that fluoridated drinking water, which was introduced across Queensland from 2010, should be discontinued. The Australian Dental Association (Qld) made every effort to consult with the local councillors but there was generally no interest from them to hear the scientific proven benefits. Sadly the residents of Central Queensland no longer have the benefit of this critical public health measure.  

Take an educated approach to the topic by not accepting the scare tactics presented by minority groups as proven fact.