Major push for fluoride in Cairns’ water system

Extreme dental surgery being performed on Far North kids has compelled health experts to lobby Cairns Regional Council to fluoridate its water supply.

Cairns Regional Council mayor Amy Eden chairs an council ordinary meeting at the council chambers earlier this year. Picture: Brendan Radke

Extreme dental surgery being performed on Far North Queensland children has compelled health experts to lobby council to fluoridate its water supply in a desperate bid to curb more than a decade of decay in the tropics.

But Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden has refused to campaign on their behalf, arguing that fluoridation is a state-wide issue that should be managed by the Chief Medical Officer.

The Public Health Association of Australia and the Cairns GP group, a medical association representing around 180 Far North members, have written to the mayor and CEO John Andrejic recently urging for the naturally occurring mineral to be reintroduced.

Copperlode Falls Dam and water intake, on the edge of Lake Morris, the main drinking supply for Cairns and surrounds. Lake Morris is nestled in the base of the Lamb Range. Picture: Brendan Radke

The decision to remove fluoride in 2013, which has been found to prevent tooth decay, strengthen enamel and improve overall oral health, has led to greater health inequities across the region, the medical practitioners argued.

Shocking dental horror stories had forced the Far North medical professionals to speak out, Cairns GP Group chair Dr Katie Williams said.

“We’ve had doctors assist in full dental clearances under a general anaesthetic before,” the Cairns-based GP, who also works in rural and remote parts of Queensland, said.

“That means they need to have all of their teeth removed. We’re talking about primary school kids. That’s just not seen in other parts of the country.”

Fluoridating Cairns’ water supply would help address “health inequities” in the region, the Cairns GP group says.

Cairns’ poorest community members are the most adversely affected, Dr Williams said.

“I used to work in a community where one side of the highway’s water supply was fluoridated and the other wasn’t,” she said.

“I remember a paediatrician told me you could tell which side the children came from by looking in their mouth. There’s an absolute visible difference and it’s markedly so when you’re looking at lower socioeconomic communities.

“For some members of the community, they don’t even have a toothbrush. It’s so low on the list of priorities when they’re just looking to survive.

“With a really simple health measure we can make a big difference.”

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden and Deputy Mayor Brett Olds. Picture Emily Barker.

Since being elected in March, Ms Eden has remained steadfast in her unwillingness to explore fluoridating Cairns’ water supply.

“I understand that adding fluoride to our water is a contentious issue, with residents having strong views on both sides of the argument,” the mayor said in a statement.

“We last asked about fluoride in the 2016 Our Cairns survey, which revealed the community was split on the issue.

“Without overwhelming support to add fluoride to our drinking water, council at the time determined to maintain the status quo.

“A lot can change in eight years, and we specifically asked the question in the 2024 Our Cairns survey, which was open for six weeks and received more than 10,500 responses before it closed last month.”

In a 2016 survey, 43 per cent of residents supported adding fluoride to the city’s water with 39 per cent of respondents being against it, with the remaining 14 per cent being neutral.

Originally published as Major push for fluoride in Cairns’ water system