Massive disservice
As a health professional serving a rural and largely Maori community, I am hugely supportive of water fluoridation. There are very high levels of dental disease in our most disadvantaged communities - in my case it is in the top 10 of health problems. I'd go as far to say it is negligent not to add fluoride to the water given we know that it works.
The anti-fluoridation lobby, and indeed the anti-vaccination lobby, are in my opinion doing a massive disservice to the communities they are trying to influence.
I regularly see people in my community who face abscesses, have teeth removed and need hospitalisation from decay. Fluoridation provides a safe and effective preventative measure, and we need to be doing all that we can to provide this critical health benefit.
DR LANCE O'SULLIVAN
Kaitaia
