Friday 16 December 2022 
The Daily Liberal, Dubbo

More than a decade after being promised a water supply with fluoride in it, villages across Cabonne are still waiting for that to become a reality.

After getting the greenlight back in 2011, the Cumnock, Molong, and Yeoval water supply upgrade started to take shape.

But following delays from water plant upgrades to both Cumnock and Yeoval, members of the Australian Dental Association are now formally urging Cabonne Council to make fluoridated water a priority for 2023.

“This has been going on for a long time and it’s not a simple solution, it’s very technical,” Mayor of Cabonne, Kevin Beatty said.

“We need sign-off on the project from health, though there have been issues identified that need further attention which is why we continue to experience delays.

“We desperately want to get these issues rectified and get it up and running as soon as we can, but it has been a difficult process.”

The ADA panel noted concerns around “adequate training of staff, among other issues” linked to water plant upgrades and said that in 2019, the Department of Primary Industries “did a backflip” and knocked back approval of the plant and dosing system.

“We want to see action from council to urgently resolve the issues and get the local water supply fluoridated [as] water fluoridation is oral health prevention on tap,” ADA NSW president, Dr Rohan Krishnan said.

“The residents of Molong have been waiting way too long [and] the resulting delays have meant fluoride has not been added to the water supply of all three towns.”

Cr Beatty acknowledged that these concerns were valid and was adamant the issue had not been lost on council.

“Yes, training to qualify operators and skills shortages have definitely been some of the bigger issues we’ve been trying to resolve to get our fluoride system going,” he said, “and while some of those fixes are easy, some of those fixes are also a lot harder.

“Fluoridated water remains a priority of improving dental health in our region, but this also isn’t something we want to rush and counteract by addressing one health issue and creating another if not implemented correctly.”

While the ADA noted non-compliant equipment as a cog in the problem, it’s also aware that Cabonne Council isn’t alone in this issue when considering the bigger picture.

That’s because it’s a well-established fact that a number of rural and regional communities are yet to see water fluoridation implemented in its towns, with these carrying the highest markers for some of the worst oral health statistics on record.

Some of these markers are derived from conditions such as decayed, missing and filled teeth, which are direct impacts from gum diseases and dental cavities.

“The odds are really stacked against regional and remote dental patients [and] they also experience far worse access to dental care,” Dubbo-based dentist whose region also has a lack of fluoridated water, Dr Sophie Halpin said.

“[So] this alone makes water fluoridation even more crucial in rural and remote communities as a key preventive measure that is safe, equitable and economical”.

With Medicare not covering most dental procedures, it leaves the NSW government responsible for public dental services.

Which is why so many regionally-based dentists like Dr Halpin – who see first-hand what the impacts of severe tooth decay can truly do – want to see local councils supported in continuing the fluoride battle.

And for it to be made a priority.

“[Especially] the face of changing regulations about mode of provision,” she said.

“There has been outcry in Dubbo about the lack of water fluoridation [and] in general, I think people want their water fluoridated because they acknowledge its benefits for oral health despite all the negative press, which is encouraging.”

Collating data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the ADA said that children aged naught to nine who are living in rural areas are around 50 per cent “more likely to be hospitalised” for dental conditions.

This was compared to statistics from their city counterparts, which is why active recruitment incentives for additional dentists in these areas is also needed – which would boost access to essential care and break the current cycle.

“A whole generation of children in the Orange area and beyond who were born in 2011 and had expected fluoride in their water, are now in high school and still don’t have access to fluoridated drinking water,” Dr Krishnan reiterated.

“[This has caused] added oral health risks that they will carry now throughout their lifespan.

“It’s time to change this.”