Fluoridated water combats sugary drinks

A study of Australian school children has found that drinking fluoridated water helps to improve the association between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and dental decay. The study further found that children who brushed their teeth less often and were older, male, of low socioeconomic status, and from rural or remote areas consumed significantly more sugary drinks. The authors – from the Australian Centre for Population Oral Health - concluded: “ These results underscore the importance of considering SSB consumption as a major risk indicator for dental caries. The results also reconfirm the continued benefits of community water fluoridation in preventing caries and support the idea that exposure to fluoridated water confers additional benefits in helping to reduce the impact of dental disease.”

The paper - Water Fluoridation and the Association of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Dental Caries in Australian Children – was published in the current issue of the American Journal of Public Health.