Evidence is clear that tooth decay is the result of food left on teeth that plaque bacteria can change to acid demineralisation, which exceeds saliva and other remineralisation of teeth.

Even with fluoridation and oral hygiene, tooth decay is still the most common food related disease affecting all families, having the economic impact of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Since 11 million Australians develop decay each year, 38% have untreated decay. Approximately $3.7 billion was spent on dental services in 2001, growing to $6 billion currently.
Only a low 1.7% on prevention. Supertooth can reduce this burden of DK.

All cavities occur from acid demineralisation of teeth where chewing leaves food trapped on teeth displacing previously trapped food. Though some foods like confection are hard to displace while nuts, cheese and sugarless chocolate may protect teeth.

More than 95% of trapped food is left packed between teeth after every meal or snack, over 80% of cavities develop inside pits and fissures in grooves on chewing surfaces where the brush cannot reach and fluoride toothpaste with saliva have no access to neutralise acid and remineralise tooth.

Expensive fissure sealants painted over grooves by dentists block food being trapped and changed to acid helping prevent tooth decay about as much as fluoridation.

Since acid forming foods are trapped under chewing pressure to cause decay, chewing tooth friendly foods before and after eating should limit acid demineralisation and could even aid remineralisation to save costs.

Commenting on a potential blow-out is not the issue I believe. The dental services, including the school programmes, have been wound down by previous governments. It will require substantial investment to bring it up to date, using best practice.

It is interesting to see an acknowledgement that despite fluoridation dental decay continues; pointing the finger on the real cause as poor dental hygiene and education.
I would add is the poor government dental services resulting that patients are unable to have regular checkups from childhood to adulthood.
By the time they can get attention it is often too late.
Anti-fluoridation community groups have been saying for years.
Europe had stopped fluoridating drinking water supplies many years ago. Something the Victorian DHS denies and insists on using data that is up to 30 years behind the times.
Recently a European High Court decision will basically spell the death knell on fluoridation.
http://www.ukcaf.org/european_court_ruling_spells_an_end_to_fluoridatio.html

It has always been questionable in my view. I believe that it breaches many of our laws including the Constitution and Medical Acts. It certainly breaches the Nuremburg Code.
I grew up on outback stations with un-fluoridated water. Most of the drinking water was tank water.

I am surprised how much angst the government is prepared to put the public through just to get its own way.

• It is not the role of government to medicate the population, those wishing to ingest fluoridate have the option of fluoridated toothpaste, gel, tablets, etc.
• Those forced to drink fluoridated water have no choice ,
• The government can advise those wanting it of the options available.
Are the Australian government/s so much a captive of vested interests. My family and I grew-up without fluoridated water and had perfect teeth until moving to Melbourne with its fluoridated water and they also had access to more of the sugar based lollies, drinks, etc.
With the change of life style my own teeth deteriorated as well.
On the farm we had plain natural foods without all of those additives that seem part of social living in the city.
Regards professori_au
continued

Continued
If governments were to spend more on dental services and educating the public regarding dental hygiene we would have less problems.

Applying under the pensioner dental programme for dentures and was put on the waiting list.

• After 12 months, I checked up on my place in the waiting list. Told not on the waiting list but they would put me on it.
• Four year on contacted them again. Told the same thing. Not on it but they would put me on it.
• A further wait nearly 3.5 years I received a set of ill-fitting dentures. When the dentist put them in my mouth, I told him that they did not fit as they rocked from side to side and tiled forward. He told me it would take a while my gums settle in and bent the wires to tighten them up.

I tried to put up with them and started to get ulcerated gums, so contact the Royal Melbourne Dental Hospital where I was told I would have to go on the waiting list :(. Jokingly I asked the appointment officer "when they are ready would you knock on my coffin and let me know". Startled, she asked what I meant. I told her of the 8.5 years wait and at 76, it was likely that I might have die in the meantime.
She understood and said that there was another option if I was willing to go on the dental student-training programme. She would be able to get me in immediately. With some trepidation, I agreed.
All I can say about the student programme is that I could not have been better treated than if I had been a millionaire receiving treatment with the best dentists in the land.
The students and demonstrators were polite and caring.
Examining my set, the "demonstrator" (supervisor) immediately said that they were not acceptable.
As a teaching programme, they tried to repair the dentures. When it became apparent that nothing would fix them, they made a new set. They are excellent and I could not wish for better.

its allways nice to hear what the experts say..[i was at a dentist in canberra at one time]..[getting yet another tooth pulled out..resulting from a bad teeth clean..done by a dentist in the redlands..[who cleverly managed to etch out the enamel on the gum line..and between my teeth..under the guise of giving me a free clean]

anyhow there was a cabnet of food groups we should be eating more of[and it was laughable that orange juice was at the top of the display case...obviously the acid in the orange juice is not good for teeth

further the bacteria...and there is one particular type..the bacteria excreet acid...there was a cure i heard of years ago that killed off all that strain in our mouths via some antibiotic..but somehow that info has disappeared

also unspoken is that kissing someonme with the bacteria is the best way to get the bad bacteria..that till you get that bad strain you cant get decay...because there is more 'good' bacteria

another point is our bodies are too acid[lowering our body ph]..that upping our alcalinity can actually refill cavities naturally[i think from memory the miracle incrediant..[for upping the ph is baking powder[or baking soda]..but again tracking down that info is near impossable

fleuride does little for teeth...the use of fleuride is mainly so govt can add medication to water..and the pacification of the population used to be a standard operating procedure from way back in the roman times..

god alone knows why we need people to take metal fleurides..a waste product from petro refining..who's only use is toothpaste and adding to our drinking water...but it must be a good little earner to make people feel guilty

anyhow i dont mind being corrected where i get things wrong..[so look forward to any correction or rebuttal

Fluoridation has greatly reduced tooth decay by making teeth more resistant to acid demineralisation but everyone leaves food on their teeth after every meal or snack and when that food causes acid attack seveveral times a day, teeth do develop cavities that are usually easy to fill or seal before toothache sets in so food is not trapped to cause further attack.

Most cavities occur inside the grooves in the chewing surfaces of back teeth and before fluoridation most were extracted because they caused toothache, now they are filled and the cost is blowing out because dental health education is not adequate.

Supertooth, nice overview of current dental health issues. Thanks.

My short stories about teeth:

My sister had a boyfriend years ago who used to get holes in his teeth and then they will fill in with enamel again over time, his dentist found it fascinating and kept records and x-rays of it.

My ex did not ever brush his teeth and never ever ever had a filing in his life. Thank goodness for Listerine.

Some of my husband’s teeth are enamel all the way through with no nerve – yes I am jealous.

Me – I brush religiously and always have. And I have had most of my teeth capped at huge expense because of how often they have fallen apart. I grew my 6th wisdom tooth 4 years ago. I want that anti-biotic!

I read awhile ago about how amazing baking soda is, for everything.

My daughter had good teeth until she went to some free Aussie dentist about a year ago for one filing, now she has many holes and how they did the filing is making the other teeth go out of line but you have to go on a waiting list for ages.

In Wellington we had fluoride in water and kids (in general) with good teeth, in Christchurch the most pure drinking water in the world – kids (in general) teeth were bad. This is about parenting though and not water.

My last foster child here where there is fluoride in water had 7 baby-teeth removed and four stainless steel caps – too much junk food I think. My last foster child in NZ with bad teeth where no fluoride in water had four rotten baby-teeth removed – too much junk food I think.

In NZ (private is half the price for dental work by the way) I have no idea what the greyish white filling stuff is…? I didn’t think to ask because over the ditch you are given white stuff but can ask for mercury if you prefer.

Professor – how do I get in to this student program please?

“Supertooth can reduce this burden of DK.” What does this mean?

Interesting story Pied Piper.
Ues all tooth decay (DK) comes from acid forming foods like junk foods left on teeth where saliva and fluoride toothpase have little access to remineralise tooth.
Always start and finish a meal or snack with tooth friendly foods to prevent or reduce acid forming food being left on teeth.
For more information. log on to www.supertooth.org and register for updates of the latest research from time to time. Ask your friends to do the same.

Some comments about teeth.

I've always religiously brushed my teeth from a young age, mostly because my mother was always at me to do it. I can vouch for it as I have good teeth. When I was given a dental checkup after joining the Army Reserve, the dentist said she was amazed. So all the credit goes to my mother.

OTOH, my father who was born in Europe before the war never had the opportunity or right environment to properly brush his. No matter how much he brushes now, he'll always have bad teeth.

The moral to this story is to brush teeth regularly from a YOUNG age. When you can't brush and you feel that furry feeling on your teeth, have an apple, scrape the plaque off your teeth with your fingernail or poke your tongue into the pits of your back teeth to dilute the acid buildup. The worst food for generating plaque is sugary food like cakes and manufactured jams, so never go to bed without brushing your teeth after eating the stuff.

I never thought about Listerine, but that sounds like it works. It's a rather expensive option though. But if it works, do it. A better option is probably just to have a quality, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and veg.

Have regular checkups and get some insurance to pay for it.

professor-au
What 8.5 years wait? Do you try to make me crazy? I have huge problems with my teeth, I thought within 2-3 months I will everything!
I do not understand why we voted this kind of politicians!
Do you think if monkeys govern us we could wait more years?
We take so many billion of dollars from foreign students why we do increase the number of dentist students in our universities?
Why temporary we do not bring some thousands of Cuban dentists? They have plenty doctors and dentists!
Are we idiots? The cost for the health system of cause the bad or no teeths is many times bigger from the cost of the basic dental needs.
NEXT ELECTIONS I WILL VOTE MY CAT FOR THE PARLIAMENT! May be the animals understand our dental needs better than our politicians!
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Hi All,

Previously, I included an URL that will lead you to the mid May 2009 European High Court decision, on fluoridation. It has implications for Australia, unless Australian authorities choose to ignore the recommendations. Decisions of this High Court has weight worldwide.

However I would like to bring to your attention how badly our Australian dental care service had deteriorated. One of my advocacy clients is a young mother with disabled children. Like most mothers, her children take precedent over her own needs.

I saw her tonight, saw she was unwell, and asked what was wrong.

She said she was in pain as her wisdom teeth were playing up. I suggested she go to Barwon Health to have them attended.

She told me she would receive no treatment until the infection cleared. From previous experience, she would be put on an antibiotic course. Only the tooth causing the problem would be treated if pain persisted, the rest would be ignored.
If the pain cleared, it would no longer be an emergency.

She received advice that they could refer her to a private clinic where she can get immediate attention.

The unofficial waiting lists get longer and longer for low income or pensioners. Conveniently, applicants seem to fall off the list and have to be put back on, thus keeping the official waiting time shorter.

Perhaps I am a cynic. Seems this appears a tidy arrangement for the government. The government does not have to invest. The private clinic gets a stream patients referred; that is of course, if the patient can afford to pick up the option.

My advice has been the department no longer does general dental work, only emergency treatment and refer the rest to the private sector.

This means low income families are unable to use the service, as they cannot afford to pay for the treatment.

The most vulnerable continue to suffer pain until it becomes an emergency requiring major treatment. Had this mother originally received an appropriate and timely level of treatment the rest of her teeth would now be in better condition.

Professori_au

Pied Piper.

You asked how to get on the student-training programme.

I rang the Victorian Royal Dental Hospital and after our discussion, they sent me a form.

They are always looking for volunteers.

Again, let me reiterate, the treatment I have received fro the students and staff is solid gold and I could not praise them enough.

There may be a small waiting time depending on whether the quota is filled for the year.

Remember, you have a no now and that will not change unless you ask. Good luck.

The college has many students; most of them appear to be Asian and Chinese. The ones I spoke with state they are willing to go into the rural areas for experience. In order to bring our services up to scratch I believe the colleges need to be expanded or more colleges set up and provided with enough resources and facilities to ensure our students receive world's best practice in dental treatment.

We should not need to steal from other countries. We should be training our own people and undertaking our own research.
However, I would emphasise this. Research funding should be unbiased, should not be compromised, and should be independent from potential obligations to vested interests.

Because governments services have been cut and funding reduced we are now in a predicament where the cost of rebuilding them will be high.

This has been the outcome of narrow policy and short-term thinking. Our governments have been more prepared to privatise amenities or prepared to spend billions on Military, often with bizarre and unsuitable planning. We can send our young people to fight in someone else’s war, yet unable to provide a service to our citizens.

We can donate to the poor or suffering of other countries and ignore our own. Not that we should begrudge helping other countries. The real people of Australia are generous to a fault and readily contribute when they see someone in trouble. You can see how the Australian public has reacted to hurricane, fire and flood victims

Yes professor-au, there is a need for more dentists and therapists to meet treatment needs because even after more than 30 years of fluoridation, dental health education and oral hygiene, preventive projects are only partly effective and leave food on teeth after every meal or snack. This is the main cause of tooth decay still being the most common of diseases.

Oral hygiene fails because over 80% of cavities occur inside pits and fissures on chewing surfaces where the brish, toothpaste and saliva have no access, yet chewing forces acid forming foods inside these grooves, indicating the need for a toothbrush that can force toothpaste inside pits and fissures under chewing pressure.

www.supertooth.org

Hi All,

I thought the the European High court decision on fluoridation and its implications to the Australian public would have created more interest.

I was looking forward to reading responses not only from our lay readers but also those from our legal fraternity over the European High Court decision on fluoride.

An advocate and researcher, it is logical to keep an open mind, examine all of the evidence, for and against, before coming to a conclusion or making a recommendation.

Instead we have a situation where the Director of Health Services claims he is just carrying out government policy. He was informed that part of his job was to also advise the government on the very latest information so that the government can make an informed decision or policy.

Still bleating he was just carrying out government policy.

Have people become so apathetic that they will not appose a process that has not proven of real benefit and where there are alternative options available, rather than being forced mandatorily to be medicated against one’s will.

I have been very interested in fluoridation for approximately 10 years. I became interested because the evidence I read and the contradictory statements, along with the authorities finding it important to legislate to protect bureaucrats from being sued by anyone hurt through ingesting fluoride.

People are now asking the governments and the various departments involved that as they declare fluoridation so safe, to provide a written guarantee. So far the government and its minions have refused to accept the people’s request and sign. Why, if it is so safe

Continued
Professori_au

Hi All,

Continued

I have found that the fluoride Acts in themselves may be illegal and also contradictory to our Constitution, Medical Acts and International law.

Health departments are reluctant to carry out appropriate research and refuse to meet with doctors, and international researchers. Why?

At several meetings in my region, people, including a mother with an extremely fluoride sensitive daughter, have asked the DHS, Dental Association and local GP Associations that if Victoria fluoridates all of its water, including bottled water how does the government propose to protect those who are sensitive to the chemical.

The mother told the audience that her daughter was extremely sensitive. She stated she could produce medical evidence that it was so. It was the reason why they had to move to an un-fluoridated area. All of those questioned refused to answer.

Evidence in the past few years suggest that benefit is not proven or is minimal at best. However, the damage it causes is much greater than any good.

There is reams and reams of research material, yet our authorities continue to use data that is more than 2 or 3 decades out of date.

I can only assume the Australian public considers the damage to our children and future generations is acceptable for such a minor a doubtful benefit. Dental decay has been researched and shown to be just as much a problem where the water is fluoridated than those who live in un-fluoridated areas.

In that case, the government is trying to treat a symptom rather than the problem.

We need more trained dentists and researchers. Researchers, provided with broad parameters to work within, not so narrow that a pre-conceived outcome can be made.

Waiting lists need to be shortened and the truth be told. Waiting lists are being manipulated so that people drop off and are put on again when they complain. I know from personal experience where I went through the process and waited 8 ½ years for a set of ill fitting dentures, requiring students from the dental college to make a set that fitted.

Continued
Professori_au

Hi All,

Continued

Shortening the waiting list will result on better treatment of patients and result in less removals and less impact on the health of the patient.

Dental care should be a right from childhood to old age. Good Care will save less in the system than the cost of remedial work and other side effects from poor dental systems.

Education of the public on good dental hygiene, less sweets and soft drinks and other acidic foods will also protect the enamel on teeth.

Any potential benefit from fluoridation is not to repair tooth decay but to harden the enamel to create a surface that will make any damage take a longer time.

This can be applied directly to the enamel surface and not damage the rest of the body or its organs.

However, the side effects of cancer, kidney liver, bone and brain damage appear to be ignored by those responsible for our health.

When I found out about the increasing levels of brittle and broken bones among the elderly I started to think.
I am 76 now but remember as a boy and youth, playing football and I believe we played just as hard as they do today.

There were less rules to constrain rough play, yet there did not appear to be the same level of broken bones and fractures suffered by athletes today.

My question is this. If the brittle bone syndrome effects the elderly, when did the effect commence? Did it really commence from a much earlier age?

regards
professori_au

prophesor[im used to non response]fleuride is a known carconogen,as for the brittle bone it is well known calcium absorbtion needs supplimentry magnesium to actually use the calcites..but the special intrests cleaning up from cleaning and repairing teeth love the income stream resulting from our ignorance and our pain

the media serves its people...us..poorly with info..[wether due to commercial intrests or deliberated incompitance may be debateable..but the proof of our combined ignorance..needs a base for our deliberatyly dumbed down simplistic ignorances...purely by the collective ignorance..a systematic involvment can be sumised

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2008/011508_fluoride_horror.htm
http://www.prisonplanet.com/war-on-iq-fluoride-and-mercury-in-vaccines.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/revealed-how-health-chiefs-plan-to-put-fluoride-in-half-our-water-supply-to-halt-tooth-decay.html

http://www.prisonplanet.com/non-stick-cookware-chemicals-cause-150-percent-increase-in-infertility.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/mercury-found-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/buchanan-climate-bill-is-transfer-of-wealth-to-world-government.html

http://www.prisonplanet.com/ssri-antidepressants-linked-to-male-infertility.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/the-government-is-already-geo-engineering-the-environment.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/neo-con-media-whores-still-cant-get-facts-straight-on-malkin-incident.html

http://www.prisonplanet.com/australia-to-enforce-mandatory-chinese-style-internet-censorship.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/fox-admits-to-planting-political-brainwashing-in-popular-tv-shows.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/bilderberg-2009-intel-already-proving-accurate.html
http://whatreallyhappened.com/taxonomy/term/97

Why all this anti fluoridation talk. Teeth from fluoride areas extracted for orthodontic purposes (space to relieve crowding) are more resistant to acid than teeth from non-fluoride areas extracted for tooth decay.

Let us focus on easy ways people can reduce demineralisation and increase remineralisation, which can involve access of fluoride where food is left trapped and the brush cannot reach.

Fluoridation does reduce DK by making teeth more resistant to acid demineralisation but most people consistently leave acid forming food on teeth after eating and saliva has no access into trapped food to neutralise acid and remineralise demineralised tooth, nor does brushing.

Tooth decay is the most common of diseases and one of the most expensive even in fluoridated communities, yet easy to prevent naturally.

Food is left trapped under chewing pressure displacing previously trapped food between teeth and inside grooves on chewing surfaces after every meal or snack and any carbohydrate is changed to acid demineralisation of tooth by plaque bacteria. Though you can avoid some eating acid forming food like cake and confection some healthy foods like fruit can cause acid attack.

Though 95% of trapped food is noticeably left packed between teeth after every meal or snack, over 80% of cavities develop inside pits and fissures in grooves on chewing surfaces where the brush cannot reach.

Fissure sealants placed over chewing surfaces block food access and prevent tooth decay.

Some tooth friendly foods like cheese and nuts are hard to displace when trapped under chewing pressure and help block meals and snacks from being trapped consumed just before eating. They can also help displace any trapped food after eating, however chewing celery after eating forces saliva into trapped food to dilute sugar, neutralise acid and remineralise demineralised tooth helping prevent tooth decay naturally.

However it is possible to improve control over demineralisation and remineralisation in many ways as can be seen on www.supertooth.or

you keep beating up the mantra...of the fisures on top of the teeth[clearly govt KNOWS this..why dont govt seal up these fissures as the teeth emerge..[AS A MATTER OF POLICY/law]

you talk about gaps being filled with food[why is it not govt policy to fill the gaps...we are talking about simple procedures [painting teeth and filling[not drilling gaps]..

#WHY DONT GOVT SPEND..its money..on prevention...either govt wants our teeth to rot..[for private profit...

or the fissure gap issue..is a destraction from the need to poisen people with fleuride..to keep us docile..[why dont you rebut the facts the proffesor points out...

your clearly well informed..you must know of the dangers of fleuride[and the need to lower acidity..[and increase alcalinity]..as well as the need for magnesium to aid calcium depositing...

fleuride is an expensive destrasction...i hesitate to say on a cost/benifit ratio...fisure painting would be more affective than fleuridisation...

the question then becomes why dont govt fill fisures..[why does it insist on fleuride alone...some one is cleaning-up..on this issue bigtime...

and its not us suffereing with rotton teeth...its not the tax payer and seemingly not govt...[who benifits?...THOSE SELLING FLUERIDE TOOTHPAST/TOOTHBRUSHES/DENTAL FLOSS..[OR THOSE FILLING IN THE HOLES[AND PULLING OUT THE TEETH..[AND NOT FITTING DENTURES..excuse cap loc

we have a huge problem..[your suggesting simple cures..[excluding brushing..it has been suggested to me over brushing caused my tooth decay...lol..

[you exclude the dangers of brushing..after eating acid foods..and there are many acid producing foods..!..[why arnt govt insisting we prevent the disease]...and insisting we get fleurides?