Tasmania could fluoridate small towns’ drinking water and lift the smoking age to improve children’s oral health

AS well as having a major influence on a person’s quality of life, poor oral health is associated with medical conditions including diabetes, cardiac health, aspiration pneumonia; and for pregnant mothers, low birthweight and preterm births. Professor Loc Do and colleagues from the University of Adelaide reported that over the last 30 years, oral health as measured by tooth loss and tooth decay experience of both Australian children and adults has improved nationwide. However, they also found that more adults had untreated tooth decay and delayed or avoided dental care due to cost than in the past.