Call for Evidence Regarding Health Effects of Water Fluoridation

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has called for submissions from the Australian public on evidence regarding the health effects of water fluoridation.
Current NHMRC advice recommends that water be fluoridated at the level of 0.6 to 1.1 mg/L, which balances the benefits of reduced tooth decay with the occurrence of dental mottling (fluorosis).
This call for published scientific articles is the first step in a comprehensive review process to ensure that NHMRC’s advice is based on the most current evidence.
Once this stage is complete, an expert working group will prepare a draft Information Paper summarising the evidence. This will be released for public consultation around September 2015.
According to CEO of the NHMRC, Professor Warwick Anderson, it is important to keep the community abreast of the process.
“Water fluoridation is a public health initiative which aims to benefit all Australians, so it is important that we take the community with us when we review such advice,” he said.
Following the public consultation next year, NHMRC will consider all feedback before confirming or suggesting any amendments to its current recommendations.
Details about how to submit evidence regarding the health effects of water fluoridation are available here. The call closes on 22 August 2014.